Marin was the name of an Indian chief of the Licatiut tribe. The word licatiut signifies a favorite root used for food. It grew in abundance around Petaluma. An expedition into this portion of California by Spanish soldiers in 1815-16 brought on a battle with Chief Marin, who was captured and taken to San Francisco, but escaped and took refuge on the Marin islands, likely Angel Island. He was again captured in 1824 and his spirit being broken, retired to the mission at San Rafael where he died in 1834.

For judicial purposes the county of Marin was attached to Sonoma county. Sonoma in the Indian tongue signified "Valley of the Moon." It was inhabited by another tribe of Indians known as the Chocuyens.

The American filibusters first raised the bear flag in Sonoma. The pueblo of Sonoma was the first county seat, but Santa Rosa became the seat of justice in 1855. The boundaries of Marin and Sonoma were altered three times during the years 1852-54-56. The commissioners who fixed the present county seat were Chas. Lopez, Gilbert R. Brush and James M. Neal.

Peter Donahue was a pioneer manufacturer on the Pacific coast. He built the railroad running to Tiburon as previously stated, known as the broad gauge line. He was a very public spirited citizen and had a son, J. Mervyn Donahue, who was educated at Santa Clara, St. Ignatius, and at Stonyhurst, England, from which place he was called back to his home on account of his father's illness. He then became actively engaged in business, married a daughter of Judge Wallace of the superior court in San Francisco, had two children. He met with an untimely death in January, 1884, at the age of thirty years. This was only a few months before his father had completed the road between San Rafael and Tiburon.

It will be remembered that between 1817 and 1845 there were no habitations in San Rafael aside from the old mission building, to which J. 0. B. Short added an addition. It will also be remembered that Timoteo Murphy built the first house in 1845 and that California was under Mexican rule at this time. It was on July 4th, 1846, that Fremont declared the independence of California, at Santa Rosa. He came down from Oregon on May 24 of that year, camped at several places before proceeding to Sonoma. He made a trip down to San Rafael on June 30,1846, where he met no opposition from Castro, the Mexican general, who had a camp over in Contra Costa county. Kit Carson was with Fremont at these times and he, with a few others, murdered two young Spaniards (Berryesa and Haro) who attempted to land at Point San Pedro, while Fremont was in San Rafael. There was very little blood shed during this revolutionary period. The Bear flag was raised a few days later at Monterey.

General Vallejo was taken from his home near Napa and was confined at Sutter Fort as a hostage, during the several weeks of hostilities. Altogether in this north bay territory there were not more than a dozen persons killed. Wm. B. Ide of Santa Rosa was the leader of the Bear party up to the coming of Fremont. A minor fight occured half way between San Rafael and Santa Rosa—likely around Olema—in which there were only two killed and four wounded.

The story of the killing of the two lads at San Pedro, one of whom was engaged to Miss Richardson of Sausalito—said to be the most beautiful girl in California at that time—ran as follows:

Kit Carson, on being sent from San Rafael to Point San Pedro, to watch for any of Castro's party crossing from Contra Costa, noticed a rowboat trying to make a landing. Prior to leaving San Rafael he asked Fremont what he was to do and Fremont told him not to take any prisoners as they had no means of caring for them. So when Carson saw this boat landing, although these young fellows, aged about 22 and 24 years, were unarmed, and on a perfectly legitimate journey, he opened fire at them, although they pleaded for their lives, killing both the lads. They were both buried a couple of days later down near the point and some people say the graves are still in evidence. Others say that one of the bodies was taken to San Jose for burial. They were given no chance for defence or explanation, but were killed in cold blood.

John Bidwell was prominent among the early settlers. He organized the first immigrant party to California and he became an honored and substantial citizen of the state. He was of New England ancestry and a native of New York. He became a schoolmaster in Ohio, later moving west and teaching in Missouri. There he came in contact with some of the fur traders and learned the delights of California. He organized the "Western Emigration Society," consisting of about 500 people, who were to cross the Rockies and settle in California. As the time of departure approached, many got cold feet and withdrew, until at last only a handful remained. A few others joined at the last minute and 69 people started off.

This was the first party organized to settle in California, although many had made the long trip to Oregon. Bidwell's party was fortunate in falling in with a band of missionaries, led by Father de Smet and guided by an experienced trapper named Fitzpatrick. The missionaries were on their way to the Flathead Indians in what is now Idaho. They gave the party guidance nearly as far as Great Salt Lake, where they separated. About half of Bidwell’s party became frightened by the hardships they had already encountered and the dangers ahead, so they decided to proceed with Father de Smet's band to Fort Hall and then to make their way down to Oregon.

Bidwell was not to be turned from his first purpose, and with the balance of his party he proceeded across the desert and over the mountain south and southwestward. They had a frightful time, suffering, thirst, hunger, cold, weariness, and the ever-present fear of Indian attacks. Their wagons were finally abandoned and they proceeded with packs on their animals. At last they found a pass through the Sierras and the little band made its way down to the headwaters of the Stanislaus river, into the San Joaquin valley. From there they saw the Coast Range and thought they had another barrier to cross before reaching their long-sought destination.

But their sufferings were over on November 4, 1841, when they arrived at the ranch of Dr. John Marsh near Diablo. He was one of the very few foreign settlers in central California at that early date. Once in the desert and once in the Sierras, Bidwell became separated from his party. On the second occasion he came across a fallen tree of tremendous size, which he later identified as one of the fallen Calveras Grove. He was probably, therefore, the first white man to look upon the giant redwoods.

Bidwell was first employed by Captain Sutter in removing the property Sutter purchased from the Russians, at Fort Ross, to Sutter Fort. Later he was employed at Sutter's Hock Farm. Later he prepared a map of the Sacramento valley for the Mexican government, to be used as an official map. BidwelI made several exploration trips, mapping the visited areas, two years before Fremont traveled through the northern portion of this state.

In 1844, while employed at the Hock Farm place, Bidwell learned from a Mexican named Pablo Gutierrez, that gold was found in the Sierras. Although interested, he said that he did not have time to investigate, and not until two years later did he go to examine the locality on Bear river where gold was said to have been found. When he did go he actually visited the richest gulch, but as the day was very hot, he made no close examination, there being too many grizzly bear around.

When Marshall discovered gold at Sutter's Mill, in 1848, it was Bidwell who carried the news to San Francisco, and that same year Bidwell discovered gold in the Feather river and worked that claim. He made the first set of scales for weighing gold for Sam Brannan. It was the same Brannan who gave the large piece of property to the Odd Fellows, on Mission street, San Francisco, just west of Sixth street, with the proviso that the land was never to be sold unless used as a cemetery.

Bidwell was one of the organizers of the Bear Flag party, which declared the independence of California, and in the Mexican war which followed closely upon the Bear Flag episode, he served as a second lieutenant of the California Battalion.

Bidwell continued as manager for Sutter after this peace was signed, and at the same time he was surveyor of Mexican grants. In 1849 he purchased the Rancho Chico, consisting of 22,000 acres. This was his home for the remainder of his life. He raised large and varied crops on this ranch, taking many prizes at the state fairs. He built a waterpower flour mill and developed the first dairy ranch in the state. He cultivated roses and many other flowers and trees. He built large hot-houses and cultivated new fruits in his nursery, which was the largest in the state.



Return to Early Marin by Donald E. Perry

Use of text and photos prohibited without permission from the San Anselmo Historical Society.