Page:History of California (Bancroft) volume 6.djvu/38

 esa.

Coombs; ana  by  John  Rose  and  J.  C.  Davis,  who  la 1846  built  a  schooner  here,  and  were  now  erecting  a mill  for  Vallejo/^  Northward,  in  the  region  round Clear Lake,  Stone  and  Kelsey  occupy  a  stock-range, and George  Rock  holds  the  Guenoc  rancho.^*

The similar  and  parallel  valley  of  Sonoma,  signifying ' of  the  moon,'  is  even  more  thickly  occupied  under the auspices  of  M.  G.  Vallejo,  the  potentate  of  this region and  ranking  foremost  among  Hispano-Cal- ifornians. This town  of  Sonoma,  founded  as  a  pre- sidio thirteen years  before,  near  the  dilapidated  mis- sion Solano, claims  now  a  population  of  260,  under Alcalde Lilburn  W.  Boggs,  with  twoscore  houses, among which  the  two-story  adobe  of  the  general  is regarded  as  one  of  the  most  imposing  in  the  country. The barrack  is  occupied  by  a  company  of  New  York volunteers under  Captain  Brackett,  which  adds  greatly to the  animation  of  the  place. Several members  of Vallejo's  family  occupy  lands  above  and  below  on Sonoma  Creek,  as,  for  instance,  Jacob  P.  Leese;  west- ward on Petaluma  Creek,  Juan  Miranda  and  family have settled;  above  are  James  Hudspeth,  the  large

frant of  the  Carrillos,"  and  the  fertile  ranchos  of lark  West  and  John  B.  R.  Cooper,  the  latter  with, mill  and  smithy.  At  Bodega,  Stephen  Smith  had in  1846  established  a  saw-mill,  worked  by  the  first steam-engine  in  California,  and  obtained  a  vast  grant,^ which  embraced  the  former  Russian  settlement  with its  dismantled  stockade  fort.  Edward  M.  Mcintosh and  James  Dawson's  widow  hold  the  adjoining  ran- chos of  Jonive  and  Posfolomi,  the  latter  having  planted a  vineyard  on  the  Estero  Americano.     Above  on  the

'^ There  were  a  number  of  other  settlers,  nearly  four  score,  by  this  time, and two  saw-mills  and  two  flour-mills. Gal. Star, Jan. 22, April  1,  1848.

^^ Of  21 ,000  acres. J. P.  Leese  and  the  Vallejos  had  stock,  the  latter  claim- ing the Lupyomi  tract  of  16  leagues,  which  was  rejected,  and  Rob  F  Ridley that of  Collayomi  of  8,000  acres,  which  was  confirmed.

^'Mrs Carrillo's  covering  the  present  Santa  Rosa,  and  Joaquin  Carrillo's that  of  Sebastopol.

^Of .35,000  acres. Both men  had  been  sailors,  the  former  from  Scotland, the other  from  Erin,