Shasta County
Biographies
JOSEPH P. W. DAVIS
Joseph P.W. Davis was a native of Ohio born in 1832, his parents are
unknown. Not much is known about his early life, he married Mary Emaline
Buchanan on January 31, 1863, in Howard County, Indiana. Mary E. Buchanan
Davis was the daughter of Reverend & Mrs. F.C. Buchanan, born about 1844 in
Trimble County, Kentucky.
The Davis's crossed the plains by covered wagon in 1864 reaching
Healdsburg, Sonoma County on June 15, 1864. Mary Davis became well known in
that area of the state, she became the mother of eight children. Sometime
later, the Davis family moved to Eagle Creek, which became Ono in 1883.
Joseph P.W. Davis was a miner by trade and well known in Western Shasta.
He led a rough but interesting life. In April of 1874, near the location of
Eagle Creek, Davis struck a rich quarts claim on the North Fork of
Cottonwood Creek. At this location, in the Bald Hills, a new mining
district was created and named Sunny Hill Mining District.
Joseph P.W. Davis made the original discovery claim at this site. A
settlement known as Sunny Hill was born in the Bald Hills area. This
settlement near Eagle Creek lasted well into the Twentieth Century, with
many valuable mines. The Davis family soon moved to Sunny Hill, where an
infant child of theirs died, it is buried at Sunny Hill.
For several years before her death, his wife suffered from illness. Mary
E. (Buchanan) Davis died on January 17, 1886 from this illness, leaving
behind seven children and a husband. Mrs. Davis was a member of the
Richland Baptist Church at Ono whose pastor was Reverend William S. Kidder,
this church was also called the Eagle Creek Baptist Church.
Mary Buchanan Davis was buried in the Ono Cemetery. Joseph P.W. Davis
continued life raising his children and watching them marry, having
families of their own. Davis struck several more rich gold and quart claims
in his life.
When Shasta, Millville and Redding battled for the county seat of Shasta
County. Joseph P.W. Davis owned and operated the Anderson Enterprise. It
was a newspaper for the City of Anderson.
At one time the pioneer mined in Whiskeytown too, and then he moved to
Tehama County, living there for a short period of time. For over a year
before his death Davis spent the entire time in Shasta County Hospital
failing in health. The old guard of Shasta County died on October 22, 1924,
at the ripe age of ninety-one, he is buried in the Redding Cemetery.
Contributed by Jeremy M. Tuggle
Resource: The Courier-Free Press, Wednesday, October 24, 1923. Obituary of
Joseph P.W. Davis.
The Weekly Shasta Courier, Saturday, February 6, 1886. Obituary of Mary
Buchanan Davis.
The Shasta Courier, Saturday, April 4, 1874. Sunny Hill Mining District
Discovery.
JOSEPH C. GRAY
Joseph C. Gray was born in Pennsylvania, on March 3, 1823. He arrived at
Sacramento, California in 1849. He enlisted into the Mexican War being
mustered out with the rank of Sergeant. Gray and two companions walked
overland from Mexico City to San Gabriel, California.
Shortly after Joseph worked his way north to Sacramento, he became a
partner of James McClatchy, the founder of the Sacramento Bee Newspaper. It
is not known if this partnership was with the newspaper or not. It remains
a mystery and this information have not been confirmed by the newspaper
company its self. It is believed to be a partnership on the old McClatchy
Ranch in Sacramento.
On May 30, 1851, Joseph C. Gray married Annie Jeanette Scott, a daughter
of Walter William and Elizabeth Crawford Scott. Her father Walter reached
California, possibly as early as 1847, was an early pioneer of the state.
To this marriage twelve children were born, one of them namely, Joseph C.
Gray Jr.
The family lived in several places in California, one of the being,
Washington, Yolo County. His father-in-law Walter William Scott was driving
the pack trains and freighting in the merchandise for a store located in
Shasta City.
This store was owned and operated by the Callaghan brothers of that city.
There was a family dispute within the Callaghan brothers, and two of the
siblings left. Jeremiah Callaghan kept the business going promoting Walter
W. Scott to become a store clerk and part owner.
This gave a chance for Scott to tell Gray about the opening within their
company. Joseph C. Gray Sr., took the job and began driving the pack trains
and freighting in the merchandise for this pioneer company. The Gray family
arrived in Shasta County in 1872.
After the retirement of Walter W. Scott from this company, Gray left and
began to farm his property on North Cow Creek in Eastern Shasta. Gray died
on his farm on October 9, 1883, and is buried in the Millville Masonic
Cemetery. His wife Annie Jeanette Scott Gray, moved to Bella Vista, and
lived in that section of Shasta County for forty years.
Mrs. Gray then moved to live in Oakland, California for a while. She took
ill and died at the home of her grandson, W.E. Gray, at 5766 Vicente
Street. Mrs. Gray was buried in the Millville Masonic Cemetery, next to her
husband. The descendants of Joseph and Annie Jeanette Scott Gray Sr. still
live in present day Shasta County.
Contributed by Jeremy M. Tuggle
Resource "Rooted In Shasta County" by Jeremy M. Tuggle published by
Preserving Memories in 2003, 2nd Edition 2004.
Walter William Scott Pioneer Plaque folder on file at Shasta Historical
Society.
Joseph C. Gray Sr., Pioneer Plaque folder on file at Shasta Historical
Society.