John and Harriet Bevans

Doris Eraldi — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 22:27:56 +0000

John Paul and Harriet Hildreth Bevans

John Paul Bevans was born on January 17, 1825, in Allegheny, Maryland, to Walter and Mary Ann Bevans. John’s wife, Harriet Hildreth, was born on December 23, 1835, in Lewis Countey, Missouri, to Jonathan and Mary Ann Hildreth. John and Harriet “Hattie” Hildreth were married on January 3, 1854, in Lewis County, Missouri.

John and Harriet had eleven children: John Jr. (1854), Marcellus (1856), Walter (1859), Lawrence (1861), and Marion (1863), all born in Missouri; and Harriet (1866), George (1868), Arthur (1871), Terese (1873), Margaret (1877), and Henry (1879), all born in Potter Valley.

In 1865, John and Harriet, along with their first four children, traveled to California with Harriet’s brothers, William Jefferson Hildreth and John Hildreth. Also traveling with them were William Jefferson Hildreth’s wife, Florence Bevans, and Mary Bevans DeVilbiss with her two sons, in addition to approximately 100 other people. The wagon train, using horses and mules, took six months to reach California. Many members of the Hildreth and Bevans families were part of the journey. The families were searching for fertile farmland rather than gold, and they found it in Potter Valley.

The trip from Missouri was long and difficult and was not without incident. At one point, a Native American man rode into their camp. The travelers detained him because they feared he would return to his tribe and cause trouble for the wagon train.

When the families arrived in Potter Valley, there were very few settlers in the area, and they stayed with the Tom Potter family. The valley was named after the Potter brothers. John later acquired property on the west side of the valley, where he built a large home and raised his family. According to historical records, by 1884 John owned 280 acres, raised sheep, cattle and farmed the land.
John’s son, John Jr., died in April 1883 while on a cattle drive through the town of Centerville. He was thrown from his horse while it was running at full speed. John struck his head on a hard object, was knocked unconscious, and later died from his injuries.

Harriet died in 1901, and when John died in 1903, their sons Walter and Arthur took over the family farm. After Arthur died in 1924, Walter purchased his brother’s share and continued farming until his own death in 1931.

Marcellus, the second child of John Paul and Harriet, worked on the family farm for many years. In 1904, he purchased his own farm on East Road from Charlie Bice.

The Ukiah Republican Press reported on May 27, 1904, that James Kinslow of the well-known marble firm Kinslow Brothers was in town that week. He stated that they had installed one of the finest monuments in the county, from an artistic point of view, on the Bevans family plot in Potter Valley Cemetery. The bases, die, and cap were made of highly polished dark gray granite and were surmounted by a life-sized statue of white Italian marble representing remembrance and hope. The statue was carved by the famous Italian sculptor Tempesti.

Nine of John and Harriet’s children, along with members of their families, are buried in Potter Valley Cemetery. Margaret is buried in Ukiah, while the burial location of John Jr. remains unknown.

John and Ann Busch

Doris Eraldi — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 22:27:00 +0000

The Life and Legacy of John George Busch and Ann Sweeney Busch

John George Busch was born on June 16, 1826, near Hamburg, Germany. In 1833, at the age of seven, he immigrated with his family to the United States, settling in St. Charles County, Missouri. His father took up farming, while young John eventually pursued carpentry. Around the age of eighteen, he moved to St. Louis to work as a carpenter, where he engaged with Peck & Barnett to learn the carpenter’s business. He served his term of apprenticeship—three years—and then engaged in contracting and building on his own business.

In May 1850, John Busch joined two companions in a journey westward across the plains to California during the height of the Gold Rush. Along the route, near the Humboldt River, they encountered four men hiding from Native American groups and chose to unite their traveling parties. Together, they continued on to Salt Lake City, where they arrived on July 2, 1850. There, they camped for a week and labored for Mormon women whose husbands were in California. In exchange for mowing hay, they were paid in cornmeal and beans.

Continuing westward—often traveling by night to avoid hostile encounters—they arrived at the Consumnes River on August 10, 1850. John began working in the gold mines and remained there until the fall of 1851, when illness confined him to bed for over a month. Upon recovering, he turned to merchandising, a trade he pursued until 1853.

That fall, Busch sold his business and set out for the East Coast aboard the steamer Uncle Sam, and later the Yankee Blade on the Atlantic side, with the intention of bringing his mother, sister, and two younger brothers to California. However, they chose not to return with him. After a nine-month stay, he returned alone to San Francisco via Panama, arriving in October 1854.

He resumed his business ventures in Placerville, where he boarded at The Cary House. It was there he met Ann Sweeney, a young Irish woman working at the hotel. They married on August 21, 1856.

In 1857, the couple relocated to Sonoma County, west of Cloverdale, where John pursued ranching and stock-raising for a year. In 1858, they moved to Mendocino County, settling three miles north of Ukiah. He continued farming and livestock raising until the fall of 1863, when the family moved to Potter Valley. There, John and Ann would remain for the rest of their lives.

Together, John and Ann Busch raised eleven children: Charles (1857), John (1859), Mary Ann (1860), George (1862), Stephen (1864), Owen (1867), Isabel (1870), Katherine (1872), Frances (1874), Harriet (1877), Augustine (1883).

Their four eldest children were born in Ukiah, while the remaining seven children were born in Potter Valley.

Ann Sweeney was born on December 24, 1836, in Sligo, Ireland. In 1841, she emigrated with her parents, two sisters, and four brothers to America aboard a slow sailing ship. Tragically, her mother fell ill during the voyage and was buried at sea. The family settled in Wisconsin, and later Ann journeyed to California with her brothers—James, Michael, John, and Owen—during the early years of the Gold Rush, eventually arriving in Placerville.

John and Ann Busch spent the rest of their lives in Potter Valley and were married for 54 years at the time of John’s passing in 1910. Ann passed away in 1920.

John and Ann, along with six of their children, are buried in the Potter Valley Cemetery. Their family history is preserved in records including From Acorns to Oaks by Delight Shelton and on the website Find A Grave.

William and Cynthia Eddie

Doris Eraldi — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 22:25:56 +0000

William Taylor Eddie and Cynthia Vann Eddie

William Taylor Eddie was born in Missouri on March 29, 1837, to James and Margaret Eddie, who were born and married in Scotland in 1826. Tragedy struck early in his life—his mother passed away when he was just three months old. At the age of sixteen, William moved to St. Louis, where he learned the tinner’s trade. He remained there until 1857, when he joined the westward migration, traveling with wagon trains to California. He first settled in Healdsburg, working briefly in the timber industry before moving to Ukiah in 1859 and soon after to Potter Valley, where he established a homestead.

William purchased 157 acres through a squatter’s claim from Mr. Grover. At the time, Potter Valley was largely wild and uncultivated. As one of the area’s early settlers, he played a key role in developing local agriculture, growing apples, corn, oats, and wheat.

On September 6, 1868, William married Cynthia Vann in Potter Valley. Cynthia was born in Missouri on September 7, 1850, to Jacob and Margaret Shaw Vann, his second wife. The Vann family had migrated from Missouri to Potter Valley in 1860. (See the Vann Story).

William and Cynthia had eight children, all born in Potter Valley: James (1868–1942), Matilda May (1871–1895), William Taylor (1873–1956), Estella (1876–1899), George (1877–1881), Matilda (1880–1895), Laura (1882–1914), and Della (1885–1968). Sadly, three of their children—Estella, Matilda, and George—passed away at young ages.

Their eldest son, James, lived on what is now the Eddie ranch on Main Street. He married Minnie Spencer, a midwife who served many of the homesteading families in the valley. Together, they had three children: Eva (Dickey), Alma (Schurr), and Clyde Raymond. James was deeply involved in the community and held a notable role as part of a three-generation legacy serving as Master of the Potter Valley Grange for a combined 20 years, along with his participation in several other local organizations.

After James’s passing, his son Clyde Raymond and family moved to the ranch to assist his mother, Minnie, in maintaining the property. Clyde married Leona Dashiell, and they had three children: Helen (Blundell), Janet (Cain), and James Clyde. In 1949, Clyde passed away at the age of 49 while working on the ranch. His son James, just 14 at the time, later attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo but returned home to work alongside his mother, Leona, continuing the family’s ranching tradition.

Over the years, William and Cynthia’s descendants married into other well-known Potter Valley families—including the Spencers, Donahoos, Whittakers, Thorntons, Burgesses, Hughes, Dashiells, and Dickeys—strengthening deep community ties. Their legacy has endured through six generations and continues today, rooted in the land and history of Potter Valley.

James Lucillus Hughes

Doris Eraldi — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 22:23:47 +0000

John Corbly Hughes (1804–1854) and his wife, Jane Washburn Hughes (1809–1876), were married in 1825. They had eight children: James Lucillus, Rowland, John Jr., William, Sonora, Daniel, Elizabeth, and Susan.

In 1849, John and Jane began their journey to California with their eight children. One day after leaving Independence, Missouri, their son James Lucillus returned to Missouri to marry his sweetheart, Mary Ann Wright, on May 5, 1849, in Mount Pleasant Township, Missouri. John and his family arrived in Ophir, California, on October 10, 1849, where they spent the winter mining.

John and Jane later purchased a ranch in Sacramento County, where they farmed and raised livestock. Their son Rowland purchased a ranch in Sonoma County near Sebastopol. In 1852, John and Jane also moved to Sonoma County and continued raising stock. John died there in 1854 and was buried in Macedonia Cemetery. In 1867, the land was deeded to the Methodist Church for use as a cemetery and church by his son Rowland and John’s widow, Jane.

In 1858, Jane Hughes and her son James L. Hughes moved to Redwood Valley. James continued farming and raising stock until 1865. James and Mary Ann had six children: Sarah Mary (1850), Martha (1852), George (1852), James (1857), and Frances (1861). Mary Ann died on December 17, 1861, following the birth of her daughter Frances. Mary Ann is buried in Redwood Valley.

In 1865, James moved his family to Potter Valley, settling in Upper Potter where the Powerhouse now stands at the center of his ranch. He purchased 365 acres from John George Busch and also homesteaded hill land over the mountain and along Hale Creek.
James married Atlantic Ocean McGee on January 8, 1866. She was born on October 17, 1845, in Missouri. They had eight children, all born in Potter Valley: Rosa (1867), Richard (1869), Luella (1873), John (1877), Frank (1879), Otto (1882), Lucinda (1886), and Myrtle (1887).

Jane Hughes, James’s mother, passed away in Potter Valley on March 28, 1876, and is buried with her husband John in Sebastopol. James continued farming and raising livestock until his death in 1890.

After James’s death, his sons continued farming and helped their mother run the ranch. The property was divided among the children he shared with Atlantic, as James had previously settled with the children from his marriage to Mary Ann. Eventually, the land was divided among James’s sons after they bought out their sisters’ shares.

James’s brother Daniel also moved to Potter Valley and purchased 160 acres of hill land. James’s son Richard later purchased this property from his uncle Daniel and homesteaded additional land beyond Hale Creek along the Eel River to Tomki Creek. In 1920, Otto purchased Richard’s property, except for 160 acres.

Otto continued farming and expanded the ranch by purchasing the 520-acre Coble place and an additional 800 acres over the hill toward the Eel River in 1929. This brought the total to 1,700 acres, which he sold in 1962 to Woodward and Wilson—now part of McFadden Farms.
James Hughes died on January 14, 1890, in Potter Valley. Atlantic Ocean Hughes died on February 19, 1925, and is buried in Petaluma.

James’s children married into the Hopkins, McGee, Grover, Pickle, Starbuck, and Eddie families, among others. Numerous family members and descendants are interred at the Potter Valley Cemetery.

Jacob Vann

Doris Eraldi — Sat, 03 Jan 2026 20:19:45 +0000

Jacob Vann was born on January 16, 1790, to Edward and Martha Vann in North Carolina. In 1798, Jacob’s father, Edward, died in Eldgecombe County, North Carolina. Two years later, his mother, Martha, executed a division of property to her five sons and remarried three days later to Micajah Exum.

It is not known which family raised Jacob Vann after 1800. From the early 1820s to 1855, he lived in the same areas of Tennessee and Missouri as the Pitt and Woodard families. Later events indicated that Jacob Vann was strongly influenced by his associations with these families.

Jacob served in the War of 1812. He enlisted as a private in Captain John Moor’s Company Infantry, First Regiment of Tennessee Volunteers, commanded by Colonel William Hall, from Sumner County, Tennessee. His muster roll is dated December 21, 1812, at a camp near Nashville, and his service began on December 10, 1812. He remained on the company payroll until February 9, 1813, when he was furloughed. His pay at that time was $27.04.

Jacob married his first wife, Sarah “Sally” Woodard, on May 7, 1816. Sarah was born on December 15, 1797, in Davidson County, Tennessee, to Pit and Elizabeth Woodard. Jacob and Sarah had eight children: Pitt (1819), William (1822), Mathew (1823), Thomas (1826), Jesse (1827), Robert (1829), Martha (1830) and Azariah (?).

Sarah’s parents, Pitt and Elizabeth Woodard, were Methodist-oriented. They had twelve grandsons who became Methodist preachers, Four of these–Pitt, William, Jesse, and Robert—were sons of Jacob and Sarah.

Sarah passed away on February 20, 1833, in Copper County, Tennessee, at the age of 36.

Jacob married his second wife, Margaret Shaw, on July 17, 1835. They had nine children: Susan (1835), Taylor (1836), Jacob (1838). Logan Douglas, (1841). Mary Jane (1842), George Washington (1844), Elijah Perkins (1846) Keziah Julia (1848), and Cynthia Ann (1850).

In 1855, Jacob and Margaret Shaw Vann were living in Green County, Missouri, when they and their children made the journey from Missouri to California in a wagon train captained by Jacob and his second-eldest son by his first wife, William Henry Vann. By this time, all of Jacob and Sarah’s children had reached maturity. Taylor Shaw Vann, the oldest child of Jacob and Margaret, was about 19 years old when the trip to California was made.

Upon reaching California, Jacob and Margaret first settled in the Napa Valley and later moved to Potter Valley in 1860. Living conditions in that area were still rather primitive at the time. There is little record of Jacob’s activities after moving to Potter Valley, as he had already passed his 70^th birthday. However, he continued to participate, as much as he was able, in the religious activities of the community.

Their daughter Mary Jane married Franklin Dashiell in 1861, Keziah married Thaddeus William Dashiell in 1862, and Cynthia Ann married William Eddie in 1869.

At least one of Jacob Vann’s children married earlier. His oldest son, Pitt Woodard Vann, married Spicey E. Davidson in August of 1839 in Missouri. They had six children, and their four sons became ministers.

Jacob Vann died on September 19, 1867, at the age of 77. Margaret Shaw Vann, who was 13 years younger than Jacob, outlived him by approximately 18 years. She died on February 25, 1885 and is buried beside her husband.

Many members of the family and their descendants are laid to rest at Potter Valley Cemetery, and numerous descendants still live in the valley today.

Pickle Family

Doris Eraldi — Sat, 03 Jan 2026 20:05:20 +0000

Robert Pickle’s family immigrated from Palatine, France, in the 1700s and settled in Pennsylvania. They later moved to Alabama, where Robert Pickle was born in 1793. In 1820, Robert married Nancy Jones. Together they had ten children: Christopher Jones, William Jones, George Washington, Jeremiah Jones, Sarah Bird, Martha Jane, Henry S., John Faust, Nancy Catherine, and Jesse Wiley.
Their son George, born in Alabama in 1824, married Mary Ann Jones in 1844 in Yell County, Arkansas. In 1852, they joined a wagon train and set out for California with their two children, Mary Elizabeth and Sarah Jane. Tragically, George’s wife Mary Ann died en route to California. George remarried in 1860 to Mary Ann Mariah Jones. They had nine children: Margaret, John William, Jesse Wiley, and Martha Frances, all born in Healdsburg, California. In 1872, George and Mary Ann, along with their young children, settled in Potter Valley on land George purchased from the Mewhinney family. After settling in Potter Valley, they had five more children: George Jr., Della Ann, Franklin, Ellen, and Josephine.

An article in the Healdsburg Enterprise reported that George and his neighbor, Eli Jones, brought four tons of very fine wheat to Healdsburg to sell as seed. In the following years, many ranchers invested in hops, but much of the soil in Potter Valley remained too wet for successful cultivation. In 1886, the Pacific Rural Press reported that George and his brother, who had joined him in Potter Valley, began tearing out their hop fields, along with the Spotswoods, Thorntons, Mewhinneys, and Burkhardts.

George and Mary Ann’s son, John William Pickle, was born in Healdsburg in 1863. When he was nine years old, his family purchased a ranch in Potter Valley. He lived in Centerville and, like most residents there, was a Democrat. He served as constable in Centerville and worked as a teamster, driving a wagon over 18 miles of rough roads to Ukiah. As a young adult, John bought 100 acres in Coyote Valley. In 1889, he married Sarah Lulu Jackson, whose family had come from St. Louis when she was a small child. They had six children: Robert, Etta, Bessie, Samuel, Pearl, and Frances. John served as county road foreman for 20 years and helped build many Mendocino County roads.
George William Pickle Jr. married Viola May Adams in 1894. They had five children: Ray, Herbert, Lillie Eva, Jennings, and Chester. Viola passed away in 1910. George later married Elizabeth Shelton Dickey in 1926; Elizabeth had two children from her first marriage.

George Jr. and Viola’s son, Herbert, married Elva Spotswood in 1917. Their only son, Harry Pickle, married Elizabeth Palmer on June 21, 1975. Harry and Elizabeth did not have any children. After Harry’s death in 1987, the Pickle Scholarship was created to assist graduating seniors from Potter Valley High School. Through the estate, the Pickle Scholarship continues to be awarded to Potter Valley students—a legacy that lives on through the Pickle family.

There are many stories yet to be told about the Pickle family, as George and his wives’ children remained in Potter Valley, married, and produced a long line of descendants. George and Mary Ann’s children and grandchildren married into families such as the Spotswood, Neil, Day, Jackson, March, Shelton, and Hughes families, among others. Numerous family members and descendants are interred at Potter Valley Cemetery.

George passed away on June 26, 1907, and his second wife, Mary Ann, passed away on February 21, 1911. Both died at their home in Potter Valley.

Ambrose Carner Family

Doris Eraldi — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 18:11:57 +0000

Ambrose Carner was born in Massachusetts on March 11, 1807, to Felix Karner (1764–1821) and Elizabeth Goldbery (1772–1855), who were descendants of Nicolaus and Magdalena Karner, who came to America during the Palatine emigration in 1790. The family moved to Delaware County, Ohio, where Ambrose grew up and married Rosalinda Wells on April 5, 1829. They had nine children: Hiram Wells (1829), James Madison (1832), Elizabeth (1833), and Jason (1835), all born in Ohio; and Richmond (1838), Mary (1841), Loretta (1844), Rosalinda (1847), and John Melvin (1852), also born in Ohio. Ambrose and Rosalinda moved several times throughout Ohio and Illinois.

When gold was discovered in California in 1848, the fever struck Ambrose, and he decided to leave his family to seek his fortune in California. However, it wasn’t long before he returned home. On May 15, 1860, after selling all his properties, Ambrose and Rosalinda, along with others, loaded into covered ox-drawn wagons and left Cox Creek, Iowa. Their nine children, their spouses, and grandchildren were all part of the group, along with possibly others.

After delays and slow travel, they reached Camp Floyd, Utah, a military post located 50 miles south of Salt Lake City. They were not allowed to proceed further, as the Ute Indians were hostile at the time. The family was assigned rations and quarters for the winter of 1860.

On April 29, 1861, after spending the winter at Camp Floyd, the family was allowed to continue on to California. On May 21, 1861, Charles Ambrose Carner, a longtime resident of Potter Valley, was born to Ambrose’s son Hiram and his wife Eliza Carner. The families continued across Nevada to the Carson River and crossed the Sierra Nevada Mountains, leading them to Meridian in Sutter County in 1861. In the spring of 1864, Ambrose, Rosalinda, their sons John Melvin, Hiram and his family, James Madison and his family, Elizabeth and her husband James Riley Ross, and Mary Carner Preston with her husband Leander came over the mountains from Upper Lake. After sighting Potter Valley, it took several days before they could get their wagons down into the valley. Other members of the family followed over the next few years.

On September 14, 1864, Ambrose purchased his first property from William Davis for $1,000. This marked the beginning of many properties he bought and sold during his 26 years in Potter Valley. The Carner family took an active role in building the grange in 1874.

Rosalinda Carner, Ambrose’s wife, died on September 22, 1878, and is buried in the Potter Valley Cemetery. As the years passed, some family members left the valley, moving to places such as Willits, Round Valley, and Southern California. Ambrose traveled to visit family numerous times, and in 1894 he moved in with his son Jason. Ambrose died in Orange County on December 25, 1895, and is buried at the Garden Grove Cemetery.

Hiram Wells Carner was born on April 29, 1829, in Ohio, the first son of Ambrose and Rosalinda Carner. When his parents settled in Iowa, Hiram met Eliza Jane Snow, and they were married on October 5, 1854. At the time, Eliza was 17 and Hiram was 25. Like the rest of his family, he worked as a farmer and had a particular fondness for raising potatoes.

Hiram and Eliza had seven children: Melvilla Mason (1855), James William (1856), John M. (1858), Rosalinda (1859), Charles Ambrose (1861), Loretta (1862), and George C. (1864).

While living in Iowa, Hiram owned 40 acres of unimproved land, six acres planted with corn, a quarter acre in potatoes, and four head of cattle. In 1860, he moved to California with his parents and siblings.

In 1864, Hiram settled in Potter Valley with his father and other family members. At one point, he traveled to Point Arena with a friend, enjoyed the area, and eventually moved his family there. Tragically, his wife Eliza died on July 16, 1866, leaving him with seven young children. The family returned to Potter Valley in late November of 1866, and the children lived with other relatives until Hiram could provide a home for them.

In 1868, Hiram purchased a press and vat for making sorghum cane syrup. Many farmers in the upper valley grew their own cane and brought it to Hiram’s press, producing enough syrup to last a family several years. He later sold the press to Charles Rader.

By the winter of 1869, Hiram was able to establish a household and reunite his children. He married Elizabeth Phillips on February 21, 1871. Elizabeth’s sister, Martha Ann, was married to Hiram’s brother Jason. Hiram and Elizabeth had three children: Elmer Hiram (1872), Melvin Edwin (1874), and Thelma (1876). Shortly after Elmer’s birth, the family moved to Santa Maria, where Melvin and Thelma were born. In the late 1870s, Hiram moved the family back to Potter Valley. He had a tendency to try living in different places.

In 1879, Hiram contracted galloping tuberculosis and died on April 17, just shy of his 50th birthday. After his death, Elizabeth moved in with her parents and later married John Gibson. They lived near Yuba City for over 20 years. Elizabeth passed away sometime between 1904 and 1910 and is buried in an unmarked grave. Hiram is buried in Potter Valley Cemetery.

Charles Ambrose Carner was the fifth child of Hiram and Eliza Carner and spent most of his life in Mendocino County, primarily in Potter Valley. He was a farmer who grew watermelons for seeds, developed his own variety of melon, and even designed a watermelon threshing machine. Charles was married twice. His first marriage was to Minnie I. Brown, with whom he had one son, Chester T. (born 1889), before they divorced. On May 25, 1896, he married Mary (May) Adas, and together they adopted a daughter, Dorothy.

Charles was the family historian and a member of the Covered Wagon Babies. He also organized and led the Potter Valley Pioneers Association and was responsible for all the pioneer reunions in Potter Valley during the 1920s and early 1930s. Charles passed away from cancer on February 27, 1936. Mary died on May 30, 1953. Both are buried in Potter Valley Cemetery alongside his first wife, Minnie Brown Carner.

James Madison Carner was the third child of Ambrose and Rosalinda Carner. He married Mary Rogers on December 1, 1853. The couple had three daughters who died in infancy before their move to California and were expecting again before their departure. Their daughter Agnes was born while the family was at Camp Floyd, Utah.

James eventually settled in Potter Valley with his father Ambrose and other family members. He had four more children: Eugenia (1862), Josephine (1866), James (1868), and Rosalinda (1870). In 1888, he moved to Covelo. After Mary died in 1890, James married a widow, Addie Moore, and lived in Covelo until his death in 1894.

Family Burials in Potter Valley Cemetery
From the family of Ambrose and Rosalinda, Rosalinda, two children, one daughter-in-law, four grandchildren, two grandchildren’s spouses, one great-granddaughter, Ambrose’s brother Lewis, a niece by marriage (who was married to Ambrose’s nephew Stanford), and a great-nephew are all buried at Potter Valley Cemetery.

Joseph Thomas Thornton

Doris Eraldi — Sat, 26 Jul 2025 20:07:32 +0000

Joseph Thomas Thornton was born on June 13, 1839, in Washington County, Missouri. In 1852, at the age of 23, he journeyed west across the plains and spent about four years working as a miner. Afterward, he turned to farming and raising livestock along the banks of the Sacramento River in Colusa County.

In 1868, seeking a healthier climate due to declining health, Joseph moved to Potter Valley. There, he purchased land that would later become the Spotswood Ranch. Over time, he expanded his holdings to include the Rader Ranch and a parcel of land near Main Street, where he cultivated pears, prunes, apples, and peaches. He also built a hotel on Main Street and later established a flour mill.

Joseph married Barbara Ellen Rader Scott. a widow with a young son named Oliver (1867) from her previous marriage to Mr. Scott. Together, Joseph and Barbara had nine children: Margaret “Maggie” (1870), Clara (1871), Alta (1873) Joseph (1875), John (1877) Katherine, (1879) James, (1881), Vane (Sylvester) (1884) and Alwilda (1887).

Barbara Ellen Rader was born near Birmingham, Iowa, on April 7, 1850. At age 13, she and her family joined a wagon train of 47 wagons headed for California. The journey was fraught with hardship. Her mother fell gravely ill with mumps early in the trip. Rumors circulated that young men were being conscripted into the Civil War at the Missouri River, but their group crossed without incident.

They traveled through Pawnee territory without trouble, but entering Cheyenne lands, they came upon the remains of a burned wagon train and its massacred passengers. Barbara’s mother offered food and gifts to the Cheyenne they encountered, which helped ensure the group’s safety. Despite local warnings to turn back, they pressed on.

When one of their wagons broke down, a carpenter traveling with the group converted it into a two-wheeled cart. The settlers pulled their wagons through quicksand using ropes. On one occasion, while the men were tending to the livestock at the river, a group of Native Americans arrived and ate the entire dinner Barbara’s mother had prepared. One of them later expressed interest in buying Barbara, but her father refused.

At Carson Sink, swift waters swept away some of their wagons. They then faced a grueling 36-mile desert crossing without water, traveling by night to avoid the heat. Eventually, they reached Salt Lake City and then Virginia City, which Barbara remembered as being “full of life, bullion, gambling, and whiskey.” A wealthy miner took them in, provided food and work, and proposed marriage to Barbara’s sister. She declined, citing his many “lady friends.” When he later tried to seduce her, she threatened him with an axe, and he left her alone.

The family continued to Truckee Meadows, then moved to Oregon, where they bought a ranch and stayed for one winter before selling it. They moved again, this time to Sonoma County, where they lived for about four years before settling in Potter Valley in 1867. There, they bought a 200-acre ranch at $27 an acre.

Barbara met Joseph Thornton in Potter Valley, and the two married on August 24, 1868. They purchased 80 acres from her father and established their home together.

By the 1880s, Joseph had built a flour mill near the school in Pomo, along East Road.

“Joseph passed away on November 28, 1912, in Potter Valley, and Barbara followed on March 23, 1931, in San Mateo. Their legacy endures in Potter Valley, where they rest in the family plot alongside three of their children and their families — a testament to the generations they nurtured and the roots they planted.”

Luther Perry Grover

Doris Eraldi — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 22:23:10 +0000

Samuel Mewhinney

Doris Eraldi — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 22:08:58 +0000