Shasta County
Biographies
THOMAS BONA DOZIER
THOMAS BONA DOZIER is the junior member of the law firm of Wiley & Dozier, Redding, one of the most reliable and capable law firms of the city. Mr. Dozier was born in Williamsburg District, South Carolina, March 12, 1865. Four generations of his family were born in that portion of South Carolina, namely: John Dozier, his great grandfather, who was a lawyer; his grandfather, Anthony White Dozier, born in 1801; his father, Dr. L.F. Dozier, born September 23, 1835, and himself. The Dozier family, were of French extraction, settled in the south in a very early day, and were a noted family of influence, talented and wealthy. His grandfather, Anthony White Dozier, was a prominent lawyer and a member of the State Senate from his district for several terms. His father was adjutant on General Longstreet’s staff all through the civil war, and there were eight brothers all in the Confederate service, and one of them the commander of one of the ships of the Confederate Navy. Another uncle, Dr. Joseph Beard, was the founder of the New Orleans smallpox and yellow fever hospital, a man of great skill as a physician and surgeon and in wealth a millionaire. Mr. Dozier’s father married Miss Agnes Bona, a native of his own district and daughter of Mr. Thomas Bona, a descendent of the French Huguenots and a man of large means. She was raised in New Orleans. His parents had five children, and his mother died in September 1868. His father now resides at Napa, and has had charge of the Asylum for the Insane for the last sixteen years. Only two children survive: the subject of this sketch and his brother, Dr. W.E. Dozier, who is now located at Susanville, Lassen County, California.
Mr. .Dozier was brought to the State of California by his parents in 1868, when he was only three years of age, and in the fall of the same year he lost his mother. He attended the public schools until ten years of age. After that he attended the Oak Mound School for boys and young men located in Napa City. He graduated in its high school department when sixteen years old, and got his law degree in the Hastings Law College of California, graduating there June 26, 1888. He purchased an interest in his present firm in September of the same year, and at once commenced the practice of his profession, in which so far he has been remarkably successful. He is highly spoken of as a talented young man and a gentleman. He is First Lieutenant of Company E, Eighth Infantry Battalion, Fifth Brigade N.G.C., and has been a member of the guards at San Francisco for a number of years. As might be expected he is an enthusiastic young Democrat, and takes a lively interest in politics, has been a member of both the last county conventions of his party, and “stumped” the county in 1888 and also in 1890, in favor of the Democracy. Mr. Dozier’s firm have a fully equipped office, are agreeable and liberal in affairs of the town, are hard workers, have a good practice, and have such honorable and straightforward ideas of business that they are destined to draw a large share of the law business of their own and adjoining counties.
Mr. Dozier was married, April 22, 1889, to Miss Maud Watson, only daughter of W.C. Watson, of San Francisco. Mr. Watson established the Bank of Napa in Napa County in 1870 with the Hon. Chancellor Hartson. His wife is the great granddaughter of George C. Yount, the first white man to have a Spanish grant north of San Francisco, he having granted to him a portion of Napa Valley. George C. Yount came to California in 1829 and established the first flour mill in the country, also built the first shingle mill. Mr. Dozier’s wife is the granddaughter of Dr. J.C. Davis, who died leaving large properties in San Francisco, around Washington and Kearny streets, and is also the niece of Senator J.P. Jones, of Nevada. Mr. Dozier and wife have lost one child, a boy, Sydney W. Dozier, aged a few months. Mr. Dozier has been the first to experiment with table and raisin grapes in Shasta County, and has proven that they would be successfully grown.
Memorial & Biographical History of Northern California
The Lewis Publishing Co., 1891
Pages 601-602
Transcribed by: Bonnie Phelan
WILLIAM J. BIDWELL
William J. Bidwell, came to this State in 1852, when a lad eight years of age. He was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, November 30, 1844, the son of John H. and Elizabeth (Hayburn) Bidwell, the former a native of New York and the latter of Pennsylvania. Grandfather Henry Hayburn was a native of the Emerald Isle, who came to the United States when a boy.
Upon their arrival in California, Mr. Bidwell’s father settled at Horsetown, Shasta County, and mined during the winter of 1852. He then engaged in the blacksmith and wagon-making business, which he followed until 1858. In that year they removed to the western part of the county and took up 160 acres of land. After remaining on it three years he sold out, went to Shasta and worked at his trade. William learned the trade with his father, after which he removed to Millville and opened a shop of his own. His father died in 1875 and his mother in 1877. After working at the blacksmith business in Millville for sixteen years, Mr. Bidwell removed to Burney Valley, opened a store and also, in connection with his brother, carried on blacksmithing. They afterward sold their store and shop and purchased 600 acres of land and engaged in stock-raising. He raises both horses and cattle. His ranch contains meadow, grain and pasture land, and is also adapted for fruit, as he has a fine apple orchard on it.
Mr. Bidwell was married in 1871, to Miss Mary A. Harrington, native of Iowa. They have had five children, all born in Shasta County, and all living, namely; Elms, John N., William J., Burney and Nellie. Mr. Bidwell is a Republican. In 1888 he was elected one of the Supervisors of the County, and since he has been a member of the board he has favored the many improvements which have been made, such as building new roads and fine bridges and the construction of the court-house and jail. These much needed improvements are of great value to the County and reflect credit on the Board of Supervisors who so earnestly labored for the public benefit. A number of times, Mr. Bidwell has held office of school trustee in his district. He is an active member of the fraternity of Odd Fellows, having passed all the chairs of the order.
In connection with his mining experience, Mr. Bidwell states that he has taken out as much as $50 per day in placer mines.
Memorial & Biographical History of Northern California
The Lewis Publishing Co., 1891
Pages 649-650
Transcribed by: Christine Helmick
HUGH H. SHUFFLETON
The ranks of the brave pioneers who came to California in 1849 are rapidly becoming thinned. No class of people are more worthy of having their names enrolled on the pages of history than these daring Forty-niners. The subject of this sketch is one of the deserving citizens who braved the dangers of the plains and mountains, of disease and hunger, and savage bands, and made a home for himself and became one of the founders of the great State of California.
Mr. Shuffleton was born in England, of respectable parents, May 27, 1830. His parents emigrated from England to America the year he was born, 1830, and settled in Hoosick Falls, Renssalaer County, New York; moved from there to Fairfield, Jefferson County, Iowa Territory, in the fall of 1839. The Indians were not removed from this portion of the Territory until the following spring, 1840. Mr. Shuffleton’s mother was killed by lightning at this place in 1842, and his father died in 1846, leaving four children, three boys and one girl, who are all now living in California. In the winter of 1848-’49 Mr. Shuffleton went in with five others and bought eight yoke of oxen, two wagons and a general outfit for California; left Fairfield April 1, 1849, crossed the Missouri River at Council Bluffs May 1 and arrived in the Sacramento Valley, at the place now called Vina, October 8.
In a short time he took out $1,000 in clear gold dust at that place. He then went into a river-damming speculation with others, and dropped his pile as quickly as he had found it. After that he purchased a mule and made the journey over the trail to the town of Shasta, then the Redding Upper Springs, which contained a few log cabins in which the business was done. That was in 1850. He engaged in mining for some three years, using the old-fashioned rocker process, averaging ten dollars per day. He found fifty-one dollars in a single pan of dirt. Another and a large find was a $65 lump, which he picked up in Clear Creek, five miles above Shasta.
In 1853 Mr. Shuffleton made a trip East, and after being absent about nine months returned with a drove of cattle. In 1855, he was married, in Shasta, to Miss Ann V. Apperson, a native of Virginia. With the stock he brought from the East, he conducted a dairy business, receiving seventy-five cents per gallon of milk, making about $500 per month. To accommodate his increasing herds, he removed to the southwest of Shasta, in 1859, purchased a claim of 160 acres of land and took 300 head of cattle there. All the lands in that vicinity were than free pastures and he had full scope for his stock. On that property he has since resided and continued the cattle business, not always with success, for in 1862, the hardest winter known here, he lost 200 cattle. He is now also raising hogs, sheep and horses. In speaking of the productions of his soil, he says he has twelve acres of alfalfa which he irrigates and cuts four crops per year, getting from it sixty tons of hay. Without irrigation he raises large crops of corn.
Mr. Shuffleton organized the first school district in his part of the county, and by subscription raised the money with which to build the school-house. In 1860, he was elected Justice of the Peace and has held the office continuously for twenty-five years. For ten years he has been a Notary Public. In 1888, he was elected a member of the Board of Supervisors of the county, in which capacity he is now acting. Since the Rebellion he has cast his vote with the Republican party. The last time he voted with the Democrats was for Stephen A. Douglas. Mr. Shuffleton is a blue lodge and chapter Mason. He is also a member of the American Legion of Honor.
By his first marriage he had three children, born to him in Shasta County, namely: Isabella, Mary and Edward T. In 1861, the relentless hand of death took this loving wife and kind and affectionate mother from them. Six years later, Mr. Shuffleton married Mrs. Mary Tipton. By her former marriage, she had two sons. By her present husband she has one son, to whom they have given his father’s name, Hugh H.
Memorial & Biographical History of Northern California
The Lewis Publishing Co., 1891
Pages 647-648
Transcribed by: Christine Helmick
SIDNEY M. TAYLOR
Sidney M. Taylor, the senior member of the firm of Taylor & Dean, sash, door and blind manufacturers of Redding, California, is a native of Halifax County, Nova Scotia, born July 26, 1848. His father, John Taylor, was a native of Scotland, and his mother, nee Jane Henderson, was born in the north of Ireland. She emigrated to America with her parents when ten years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor had four children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the youngest. He received his education and learned the trade of carpenter in his native place. From there he removed to Boston, Massachusetts, and worked at his business there three years, after which he located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he engaged in the manufacture of sash and doors for Smith & Parker, remaining with them eleven years. Then he was in the same business there three years for himself and had the misfortune to be burned out. After that he removed to British Columbia, where he built a shop and commenced business. His next move was in 1887 to Red Bluff, Tehama County, California. There he accepted the position of foreman of the Sierra Lumber Company’s mill and remained there two years. Then he came to Redding, where he is now well established in business. He and his partner, Mr. Dean, built their planing-mill, with barley crusher attached, in the spring of 1890 and are meeting with fair success in their enterprise.
Mr. Taylor was married to Miss Rebecca E. Taylor, a native of Halifax County, Nova Scotia. Their union has been blessed with four children: Earnest, Stewart, Estella and Viola, all born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Politically Mr.Taylor is a Republican. He is a good citizen and a reliable business man. He is an excellent mechanic and takes charge of the mill while his partner does the office work.
Memorial & Biographical History of Northern California
The Lewis Publishing Co., 1891
Pages 650-651
Transcribed by: Christine Helmick