The subject of this
sketch is a native of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, born January 4,
1800. When three years of age his parents moved to Warren County, Kentucky.
Here he received his education, in a rude log school house, and afterwards
was appointed Captain of a military company, which office he held for twelve
years, wearing the badge of Commissioner; also taught school in that
township for a number of years. In 1838 he went to Missouri, and in 1840
settled in Bates County, it being organized as a county in February, 1841.
Mr. C. was elected first County Judge, and served at the first Grand Jury
that was held in the county; was the first qualified school teacher, and
drew the first public money for services rendered in this capacity. On April
24, 1853, in company with his wife and ten children started across the
plains for California, and landed in Big Valley, this county, Oct. 15, 1853.
Here Mr. Cockrill built the first house, conducted the first boarding house,
and also procured the first warranted deed of land on the Blume grant. In
1857 he was elected the first Justice of the Peace of Analy township; soon
after he was elected Associate Judge under William Churchman. During Mr. C's
residence in the county he has held the office of Justice for twelve years,
and on Sept. 3, 1879, was re-elected to the position for another two years
term. Has been steadily engaged in farming until quite recently, and is now
on the roll of the retired. Married Oct. 29, 1829, Miss Deademia Stamps. She
is a native of Kentucky, born December 29, 1809. By this union they have six
living children, three sons, and three daughters; Theodore G., now a
resident of San Francisco; Helen M., now Mrs. Lake, of Bloomfield; Lurena
E., now Mrs. Hoag of Santa Rosa; Ida Josephine, now a resident of San
Rafael; Robert L., now in San Francisco; Bruce T., now of San Rafael; and
four children deceased.
Source: "History of Sonoma County, Cal.," Alley, Bowen &
Co.,San Francisco, 1880, pp. 473-474.
Transcribed and submitted by Sally Kaleta, July, 2007.
Was born in Jackson
County, Indiana, March 21, 1822. At the age of seventeen years he settled
with his parents in Warren County, Illinois, and there resided till the Fall
of 1840 when his parents moved to Green County, Missouri, and there he
commenced farming. Here he married Rebecca Lakey on January 6, 1842. In
1852, Mr. Davis crossed the plains to California by ox-team and arrived at
Petaluma on the 29th August of that year, and first settled near Liberty
school-house in that township where he farmed until 1871. In this year he
moved to his present residence near Forrestville and occupies three hundred
acres of land on which he raises wheat and carp. His family consists of John
Valentine, Joseph, Jacob, Charles Nuton, Christopher Columbus, Phoebe,
Rebecca Zarrilda, and Lydia Ann.
Source: "History of Sonoma County, Cal.," Alley, Bowen &
Co., San Francisco, 1880, p. 474.
Transcribed and submitted by Sally Kaleta, July, 2007.
A representative man of
Sonoma County, and whose portrait is in this history; was born in Little
Bolton, Lancashire, England, September 14, 1822. When nearly twelve years
old, he with his parents, emigrated to the United States, settling in
Philadelphia, where, in 1837, James was bound to James Brooks as an
apprentice to the blacksmith and machinists' trade, serving till twenty-one
years of age. Here, on October 20, 1843, he married Miss Eliza Marshall, who
was born in the city of Manchester, England, on March 15, 1824. They moved
to Rock Island County, Illinois, in 1844, sojourning there until April,
1845; then, in company with Mrs. Gregson's two brothers, Henry and John
Marshall, her sister, Mary A., and mother, Mrs. Ann Marshall, crossed the
plains with ox teams to California. While on the road, and passing through
Humboldt Canon, they were attacked by Indians, who killed all their stock,
except one yoke of cattle, which compelled our little party to make a
two-wheeled vehicle out of their wagon, on which their baggage was
transported, together with those persons who were unable to walk. All the
men, also Mrs. Gregson and her mother, traveled on foot the entire distance
from Humboldt to Johnston's Ranch on Bear Creek, the party arriving there on
October 20, 1845. Mr. Marshall did not walk over twenty miles. The hardships
and sufferings which these two women endured on this journey can better be
imagined by those who have passed through a like experience than described
by us. All honor to these ladies, who braved all the dangers of an overland
trip to this State, and at a time when few had dared to make the journey in
order to become permanent settlers, and who have lived to see the then
wilderness of California subdued to a garden of beauty. Mr. Gregson at once
proceeded to Sutter's Fort, where he was employed by Captain John A. Sutter
to work at blacksmithing. During his stay here he enlisted in a company, to
join General Fremont at Monterey, taking with them a drove of horses. In
1846, while, at the fort, Mr. Gregson was guard over General Vallejo, who
was at that time a prisoner of the Bear Flag party. He was also engaged in a
battle at Salinas, and followed the movements of Fremont to Los Angeles,
when he, together with other members of his company, were honorably
discharged; after which, Mr. Gregson returned to Sutter's Fort, where he
remained till February, 1848, when he was sent by Captain Sutter to Coloma
to assist in erecting the mill which that gentleman was building at that
place. It was while the subject of this sketch was working on the mill that
gold was discovered. Mrs. Gregson has now a small nugget of the precious
metal, which was given her by some Indians in exchange for a shirt. While
this family were residents of Sutter's Fort, their daughter Anna was born on
September 3, 1846. After their arrival in Coloma, the Indians would come a
distance of forty miles to see the baby, and could not be induced to believe
it a real child until they had pinched it, or in some other way made it cry.
In October, 1848, Mr. Gregson came to Sonoma, having moved there partly to
regain his health, which had become impaired while living at Coloma, but, on
recovering which, he returned to Coloma in 1849; thence to the middle fork
of the American River, but was again compelled to leave the mines on account
of ill-health; going to Sacramento, there engaging in house-building in
Sutterville, which he continued till late in the fall of 1849; thence to
Sonoma, and in January, 1850, settled on his present farm of one hundred and
sixty acres, situated in Green Valley, Analy township, and was the first to
break land and raise grain in the valley. We will note here that Mrs.
Gregson's mother and sisters settled in Sonoma in 1848. No man in this State
is more respected than Mr. Gregson, and his name is everywhere the synonym
of probity, honor and business integrity. Uniting to the frankness and
generosity of an Englishman the intelligence and polish of the highest type
of a gentleman, his name and pioneer career will ever be associated with all
that is most agreeable in the early settlement of Sonoma County. The names
and births of his children are as follows: Annie, the first white child born
in Sutter's Fort, as above. She is now Mrs. Reid of San Luis Obispo County,
this State; Mary Ellen, born at Coloma, September 25, 1848, now Mrs.
McChristian; William F., a resident of Stanislaus County, California, born
September 24, 1850; John N., born September 1, 1852, and resides in San Luis
Obispo County; Eliza Jane, now Mrs. Butler, of Mark West, born May 31, 1854;
Henry M., born October 5, 1856; Adelia J., born March 28, 1858, now Mrs.
George Fraits, of San Luis Obispo County; Caroline, born October 29, 1862,
and Luke B., born March 27, 1868.
Source: "History of Sonoma County, Cal.," Alley, Bowen &
Co.,San Francisco, 1880, pp. 474-476.
Transcribed and submitted by Sally Kaleta, July, 2007.