The OTHER California Bridgeport by Zina Abbott

When it comes to research, sometimes I do not know which is worse: oodles and gobs of information to be waded through to find what I need or hardly anything at all.

My research for Bridgeport in Mariposa County, California, fell into the second category. I first became aware of this “ghost town” (actually, a few piles of rocks and a historical marker) while taking a drive with my husband in practically our own backyard.

 We have driven the main highway to and from Mariposa many times. However, as we passed the turn-off for Old Highway, I often wondered what there was to see. Imagine my surprise when we did take that route home from Mariposa one day, and I came across the historical marker for Bridgeport.

I knew that could not be a postal-designated place, for Bridgeport, California, is the name of the county seat in Mono County. Here is what I found out about the OTHER California Bridgeport.

Bridgeport in Mariposa County was founded by a New Yorker named Andrew S. Church, who came to California to mine gold, starting at Woods Creek near Sonora. After quickly deciding he did not care for the monotony of placer mining, he chose to open a merchandise store. He purchased a team, wagon, and supplies and started for the Kings River. However, he was only a few miles from Mariposa—where the wagon road crossed Agua Fria Creek, which was the site of the first big gold discovery in the county—when a peddler convinced him the area needed a trading post at that location. Mr. Church pitched his tent and started his business. In 1852, he constructed a frame house to replace his tent.

 

This crossing, which became known as Bridgeport, was actually on the Las Marisposas Land Grant owned by John C. Fremont. It was located about five miles south of Agua Fria, Mariposa County’s first county seat. However, it did prove to be a very profitable location, especially thanks to the 3,000 Chinese customers who ordered a lot of rice.

Mr. Church was involved with the first group of miners who went into Yosemite Valley to deal with the “Indian problem.” However, he did not like getting involved, so future forays he left to others and concentrated on his store.

Eventually, Mr. Church hired a clerk, Seth Washburn of Vermont. Seth, the second of fourteen brothers, soon convinced two of his brothers—Ed and Henry—to come to California and join him clerking for Mr. Church. Within a couple of years, the Washburns opened their own store. Even though Seth eventually returned to Vermont after mining activity in the area slowed down, the other two brothers remained in California. They made their fortunes in several enterprises including  livery stables, road building, and buying out Galen Clark’s Inn. They eventually built and operated the Wawona Hotel in Yosemite.

As mining faded, agricultural activity around Bridgeport increased. In the late 1800’s Capt. Bill Howard raised race horses just north of Bridgeport. Also, hog farmers moved into the area.

Bridgeport became a regular stop for travelers and tourists.  This road served as one of the early Yosemite Stage & Turnpike Company routes operated by Henry Washburn, who maintained a stagecoach station at Bridgeport.

The old wagon road going through Bridgeport was straightened, widened, and oiled in order for it to become the main route from Merced to Mariposa to Yosemite. A concrete bridge was built across Agua Fria Creek in 1919.

As automobiles and trucks replace stagecoaches and freight wagons, Bridgeport continued to be a regular stop for tourists. In 1926, a Union Oil distribution plant was built near the crossing by Bridgeport. It operated until it was dismantled in 1940.

Charles Greenmayer bought the store in 1929. The community did well as the county entered the Great Depression. A surge of gold dredging activity and tourism kept the town alive, as did penny-ante poker games that took place in the store’s back room.

However, the death knell for Bridgeport tolled when it was announced that the state decided to reroute the highway. It would miss Bridgeport by four miles. The store’s ownership changes twice, with the final owner closing the doors for the last time in 1950. Bridgeport lacked two years of having reached its one-hundredth anniversary before becoming a ghost town.

As I wrote my first two books in the National Park Brides series—both mostly set in Yosemite—I found the connections to Bridgeport interesting.

In Anthelia Yosemite Bride, I featured the area of Yosemite National Park (in the late 1880's, the Yosemite Grant controlled by the State of California) close to the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. The Wawona Hotel and the Yosemite Stage & Turnpike Company—both owned and operated by the Washburns—were a sizeable part of my setting.

In Ardith Yosemite Bride, in spite of it being 1905, both of my hero and my heroine find themselves frequently riding stagecoaches. One of the routes taken includes the Merced to Mariposa run, which would have taken the rider through Bridgeport.

 

 

Anthelia Yosemite Bride is now available for sale as an ebook. It is also available at no additional cost with a Kindle Unlimited subscription. To find the book description and purchase options, please CLICK HERE

 

 

 

 

Ardith Yosemite Bride is now available for sale as an ebook. It is also available at no additional cost with a Kindle Unlimited subscription. To find the book description and purchase options, please CLICK HERE

 

 

 

Sources:

Bridgeport: A Brief History, probably from the Mariposa Gazette, date unknown but 1969 or later; Newspaper clipping found on Facebook, Mariposa History & Pictures Page

Forrest Lemona Beebe Wass, Mariposa History & Pictures Page, Facebook, 

Historical Marker: Bridgeport, Matuca Chapter #1849, E Clampus Vitus, Credo Quia Asbordom

https://www.oldmapsonline.org/en/Mariposa_County,_California

 

Archie C. Leonard Early Yosemite Park Ranger by Zina Abbott

[This article was originally posted on the Sweet Americana Sweethearts blog in September 2016.] 

Yosemite was created a National Park on October 1, 1890. Each year between 1891 and 1913, the War Department sent troops of cavalry into Yosemite National Park on patrol duty. Sequoia and Yellowstone Parks also received military protection.

The Army Officer in charge acted as the Superintendent of the Park. The troops would arrive in May and leave about October, returning to the Presidio of San Francisco. Captain A. E. Wood was in Command of the first Troops assigned to Yosemite. Captain Wood, in command of two Troops of Cavalry, Companies I and K arrived in Yosemite May 19, 1891, and set up camp at Wawona.

During the Spanish American War in 1898 the U.S. Troops assigned to Yosemite were recalled to the Presidio. The protection of the Parks, until the Troops could again assume their duties, was assigned to the General Land Office of the U.S. Department of the Interior. A Special Land Inspector was made Acting Superintendent of three Parks. He employed assistant forest agents during the summer to eject sheep trespass and fight forest fires. The General Land Office therefore became involved in the early administration of both the National Parks and the Forest Reserves in California.

 

Original Park Rangers posing by Yosemite Falls, Archie C. Leonard is on far right.

 

By June 25, 1898, Special Inspector J. W. Zevely of the General Land Office had hired eleven men from the Yosemite region to be temporary Forest Agents. These men were assigned to two special agents. Special Agent A. W. Buick was in charge of five men: The men were, Archie C. Leonard, George R. Byde, Henry A. Skelton, Charles A. Leidig, Arthur L. Thurman, and they took over the northern part of Yosemite. Special Agent Cullom was given six men: George G. MacKenzie, Thomas S. Carter, David Lackton, Darwin S. Lewis, Joel J. Westfall, Joseph R. Borden, and this group were assigned to the southern part of Yosemite.

Two months later on August 25, 1898, the U.S. Troops returned to the Park, and the Forest Agents were relieved of their duties. However, in September of that year, the Acting Superintendent received authorization to appoint forest rangers at fifty dollars a month for temporary service. These men were to assist the Troops on their patrols. Two forest agents, Archie Leonard and Charles Leidig were hired at that time. In the late fall when the Troops were preparing to leave Yosemite, it was recommended that the two forest agents be kept on for the winter to protect the Park. This was authorized and they remained on as rangers for many years.

The Army reports to the Secretary of the Interior referred to these rangers as “Park Rangers.” This was probably the first usage of the “Park Ranger" title. The forest rangers in California National Parks, officially became park rangers in 1905. 

Archibald Campbell Leonard

Archie was born in West Virginia in 1846. He came across the Plains with his parents, Owen (born in Ireland) and Sarah (born in Scotland) during the latter part of the gold rush period and the family settled in the Mother Lode Country. The 1860 census lists him as twelve years old living with his parents (father and oldest brother worked as miners) and six siblings in Jamestown, Tuolumne County, California. As he grew older, he worked around Jamestown as a miner for a few years. In the 1880’s he came to Yosemite and worked a while for the Washburns in Wawona as a ranch foreman. 

In 1881 he married Susan M. Laurence, the daughter of James Laurence, born in Arkansas, and Telefina “Pa-nah-hah” Dick, a Southern Miwok whose family had lived in the Mariposa/Yosemite Valley region for generations.

The above picture shows on the far left Susan as a young girl holding a rifle. Next to her is her brother Johnny who is holding the violin. On the right are two Dick cousins. The Miwoks by tradition did not use surnames. Once they came in contact with Europeans who expected a surname, they used the European first name of an ancestor as their surname.

On September 23, 1898, Archie was one of the two local men appointed as Assistant Special Forest Agents who made up the first civilian protection force for the Yosemite National Park. He was assigned to patrol the southern part of the Park which was not far from his home in Wawona.

 

1899-About 40 soldiers of the Sixth Cavalry, Troop F in Yosemite Park

 

When the U. S. Troops came in to take over the protection of the Park, he was assigned as scout and guide for the Troops during the summer months. He reported to the Commanding, Officer at Camp A. E. Wood, and was given instructions to handle the sheepmen in a tough manner. Orders were to scatter the sheep, take off the bells and bring in the herders and sheepmen to headquarters. There was a great deal of trouble over the trespass of grazing in the Park.

During the winter months when the U. S. Troops were out of the Park, Archie and Charles Leidig took over the responsibilities of patrolling and keeping law and order until the troops returned the next summer.

Allan Sproul, a seasonal ranger assigned to the Mariposa Grove of Big Trees in the year 1914, says this about Archie:

“Archie was not very communicative but he was always pleasant, and I should say tolerant of the college boy rangers. He knew the Park from years of travel over the trails. His hair was gray and rather long and his mustache drooped, his uniform consisted of a dirty slouch hat, a grayish colored shirt, which wouldn’t show the dirt of a season, and overalls worn low on the belt. He spoke in a soft voice and had a pleasant smile.”

 

Archie C. Leonard, one of two Park Rangers with President Theodore Roosevelt in 1903.

Archie was one of two park rangers that served as guides and guards for President Theodore Roosevelt when he visited the Yosemite Park in May 1903. To read more about President Theodore Roosevelt’s visit to Yosemite National Park, CLICK HERE.

Susan and Archie C. Leonard

In 1917, changes took place on the ranger force. Due to his advancing age, Archie could no longer handle full time ranger duties. He was changed from a permanent park ranger to a temporary first class ranger. This reduction in status occurred in September, and two months later he was furloughed. He was not recalled to service in the Park in 1918,  but was discontinued with out prejudice from the Yosemite Ranger Force. He died in Stockton, California in 1921 at the age of 75.

According to family tradition, Archie and Susan homesteaded land in the vicinity of the Hetch-Hetchy Valley on the west side of Yosemite National Park. After Archie died, the state of California decided it wanted to dam the Tuolumne River through this valley. Archie and Susan were married according to “Indian custom.” Even though the family shows up on census and other records, the marriage was not filed in the county courthouse. Native tribes in California were beaten back and not given much consideration in the courts in the early part of the twentieth century. With Susan being half Miwok and her children being quarter Miwok, they fought an uphill battle.  California declared the children unable to inherit and grabbed the land from them for the dam project which today provides power for Pacific Gas & Electric.

 

Hetch-Hetchy Valley before the 1923 dam.

I give sincere thanks and appreciation to Lucille Davenport and Joyce Hammer, descendants of Archie C. and Susan M. Laurence Leonard, for providing the family information to me and for giving me permission to share the story of their ancestors.

Sources:
1.  Family records of the descendants of Archibald Campbell Leonard and Susan M. Laurence [Laurance] Leonard.

2.  http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/guardians_of_the_yosemite/history.html

3.  Wikipedia

  -o0o-

Zina Abbott is the pen name used by Robyn Echols who lives near the “Gateway to Yosemite” for her historical novels. Ardith Yosemite Bride includes vignettes of the Leonard family. 

 

Now available for sale as an ebook or at no additional cost with a Kindle Unlimited subscription, to find the book description and purchase options, please CLICK HERE