Was born in Switzerland,
November 24, 1825. Emigrated to America when twenty-two years of age. He
resided in Lucas County, Ohio, until 1850, when he emigrated to California,
crossing the plains, and spent his first winter in a plow-manufacturing
establishment at Sonoma City. In the spring he commenced farming, which
business he followed until January, 1853, when he bought an interest in a
saw and grist-mill on Mill Creek, which he conducted until 1855, when he
disposed of his interest; and in February, 1856, she being born in
Switzerland, August 4, 1839. He then, in company with his wife, returned to
California, via Panama. Once more settled in this county, Mr. Miller bought
back his interest in the mill, which he retained until 1862, when he again
sold out, and settled in Healdsburg, where he opened a distillery, which he
conducted until 1877. Mr. Miller is now farming on a small ranch just south
of the depot, where he has built a nice little residence. Celia is their
only child living, being born May 4, 1857. One son, named Alexander, born
October 1, 1859, died in 1868.
Source: "History of Sonoma County, Cal.," Alley,
Bowen & Co., San Francisco, 1880, p. 510.
Transcribed and submitted by Sally Kaleta, July, 2007.
Is a native of North
Carolina, being born in Ashe County September 15, 1821, where he resided
until 1833. He then moved to Lawrence County, Missouri, with his parents and
resided there until 1849, when he emigrated to California, crossing the
plains, being six months making the trip. Immediately after his arrival,
commenced mining in the place diggings, where he continued until the winter
of 1852, when he returned to Missouri, remaining but a few months, and
re-crossed the plains the same year to California, this time settling on his
present estate of three hundred acres. Has held the office of School
Trustee. Married Martha Walters in 1858, she being born in North Carolina in
1841. By this union they have nine children, Sarah, born December 12, 1858;
Emma, born October 14, 1860; Nancy Ann, born January 4, 1862; Mary, born
March 4, 1864; Della, born January 31, 1866; Willis, born June 5, 1868;
Effie, born July 30, 1870; Henry, born December 1, 1873; Freddie, born
September 25, 1877.
Source: "History of Sonoma County, Cal.," Alley,
Bowen & Co., San Francisco, 1880, pp. 510-511.
Transcribed and submitted by Sally Kaleta, July, 2007.
Is a native of Mercer
County, Pennsylvania, where he was born on January 2, 1831. In the spring of
1835 his parents emigrated to Des Moines County, Iowa, settling near
Burlington on Skunk River, where they erected the first mill built in that
state. In the spring of 1849, in company with his father, brother and
brother-in-law, he crossed the plains to California, stopping at Mormon
Island, Placer County, where they arrived in October of that year, and at
once went to mining. About one year from this time, Mr. Moffet's father
returned to his home in Iowa, where he died in 1857. The subject of this
sketch continued his mining operations till the fall of 1851, when, in
company with his brother, he returned to the place of his former residence
in Iowa. Again, in the spring of '52, with his two brothers, he started for
the coast, bringing a herd of cattle, coming via Salt Lake City, thence to
San Bernardino and up the coast to Sonoma County, locating on the Cotate
Rancho, in Santa Rosa Township, arriving there in July, 1853. Mr. Moffet
left this place in January, 1862, going to the gold mines in Idaho, thence
to the silver mines of Humboldt County, Nevada, in the fall of the same
year, and afterwards went to Austin, Nevada. In the spring of 1858, and
during the great White Pine excitement he pushed on to that place, and later
became interested in mines in southern Utah, in which up to the present
writing he is interested. In giving the places where Mr. Moffet has been in
the mining districts, we have only marked out the outlines of his
operations. During the many years he spent in the mountains of Idaho,
Nevada, and Utah, he was actively engaged in prospecting through this broad
sweep of country, and it is due to his energy and perseverance that many
valuable mines have been discovered. Mr. Moffet is now a resident of
Healdsburg, this county, to which place he came in the fall of 1874. We
cannot give a better idea as to how this pioneer Californian is esteemed by
his neighbors and fellow-citizens than stating that he has had the honor of
being placed in nomination by the Republican party to represent Sonoma
County in the State Legislature, and was only defeated because of its being
a Democratic County. Married Miss M. A. Martin, a native of this state, in
1874, by whom he has one son, Charles Levi.
Source: "History of Sonoma County, Cal.," Alley,
Bowen & Co., San Francisco, 1880, p. 511.
Transcribe and submitted by Sally Kaleta, July, 2007.