A Plundering Scheme

By Larry Clinton, Sausalito Historical Society

In his book Moments in Time, Historical Society founder Jack Tracy recounts how Sausalito became a railroad terminus a century and a half ago:

“The North Pacific Coast Railroad, incorporated in 1871 with the aid of a public bond issue in Marin County, had a grand plan to run a line through Marin connecting the emerging towns, and continuing up the coast to the vast redwood stands along the Russian River in Sonoma and the Gualala River in Mendocino County. The Sausalito Land & Ferry Company directors, sensing that this could be the breakthrough for their town, gave the financially feeble railroad company thirty acres along Sausalito's waterfront to make Sausalito the south terminus of the new line.”

However, newspaper editorials of the time reveal an intriguing backstory, much of it concerning a California legislator and Sausalito resident, J.L. Romer.

The Marin Journal, a weekly paper that eventually became the Independent Journal, carried this op ed in December 1869:

“Mr. Romer the representative of the California Steam Navigation Company's interests in the Assembly, has introduced a bill entitled ‘An Act donating to the San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad Company certain salt marsh and tide lands in the counties of Marin and San Francisco… provided they shall within five years expend $50,000 for improvements. Also the following nice little morsel to roll under their tongues under a like $50,000 proviso: ‘For a terminus in the city and county of San Francisco, two hundred acres, exclusive of streets, basins, public squares and docks, out of the salt marsh and tide lands belonging to the State and lying in the city and county of San Francisco, and northwardly from an extended line of Lombard street, and westwardly from Buchanan street, and inside of the line of twenty-four feet of water at low tide, to be located by said company within twelve months from and after the passage of this Act, in a manner and form to be approved by the Board of Tide Land Commissioners, or a majority of them.’ You will agree with me in saying that these San Francisco and marine lands are dirt cheap at $100,000. But … John F. McCauley owns Romer, and McCauley certainly owns the San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad.”

A month later, the Marin Journal elaborated on its opposition to the proposed legislation:

“We understand that one of the provisions of Romer's bill, donating over three thousand acres of tide and marsh lands in this county to the… North Pacific Railroad Company, is that Marin County be authorized to vote a subsidy of $300,000 to aid in the construction of the road to be built by that Company, and that bonds be issued made payable in twenty years, to meet the same. For unmitigated cheek and barefacedness the framers of the bill referred to will certainly take the palm. We venture to assert that not a dozen tax-payers of Marin County — save those interested in the road, and the Saucelito Land and Ferry Company, who, by the way are delinquent on the tax roll —have been consulted in regard to this proposition. We most emphatically protest, in the name of the tax-payers of this county, against such a wholesale plundering scheme as is thus sought to be imposed. It is not enough for this corporation to covet the State lands within the borders of this county, but it must also have a finger in the County Treasury…

“We are not opposed to granting aid to railroads, but are most decidedly averse to acceding to the proposition as presented in Mr. Romer's bill. Let a modest sum be asked for — a sum adequate to the benefits that will accrue to our county by the presence of the road, and our tax-payers will certainly favor it. The citizens of this county have lately constructed over three miles of road for local purposes, at a cost of over $50,000, without asking one cent from the county therefor, and it would seem that this mighty corporation, composed of well-known capitalists might, upon a pinch, construct less than ten times the same distance of road, for less than six times the amount of the cost of the local road without asking Marin County for such an exorbitant sum. They are certainly engaged in this railroad enterprise for benefits that will accrue to them in consequence thereof — the sum thus asked for will, we believe, be sufficient to build the road through our county. Our tax-payers will, no doubt, favor voting a sum not exceeding, say $100,000, to be paid as the road progresses, but this proposition of Mr. Romer's certainly savors of an ancient odor.”

Such editorializing may have reduced the size of the bond issue, but one did pass, and J.L. Romer’s reward was to be elected Trustee of the new railroad at the beginning of 1871. One of his first accomplishments in that capacity was to purchase the ferryboat Princess on behalf of the Sausalito Land & Ferry Company.

Then, as now, what goes around comes around.

PHOTO FROM SAUSALITO HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Sausalito’s rail and ferry wharf was completed in 1875

The Notorious Ferry Sausalito

By Larry Clinton, Sausalito Historical Society

It’s well known that the paddle-wheeler ferry Sausalito collided with another ferry in 1901, inspiring the opening of Jack London’s novel, The Sea-Wolf. But I was shocked to learn that the Sausalito had a reputation for careless navigation long before, and even after, that tragic accident.

The San Francisco Call, San Francisco’s dominant morning paper, reported on one of these mishaps in October, 1895:

“The Tiburon and Sausalito ferry-boats were again nearly in collision yesterday morning. On half a dozen different occasions either one steamer or the other has been in fault, but the Inspectors of Hulls and Boilers have always whitewashed the captains. No one has been to blame and the steamers of the two lines keep on getting within a few feet of each other in the fog and thus endangering the lives of hundreds of passengers.

“In the narrow escape of yesterday morning there was gross carelessness somewhere and the investigation, if inspectors Talbot and Phillips decide upon holding one, will probably be very searching. The steamer Tiburon, in charge of Captain White, left Tiburon for San Francisco at 7

a. m., and the Sausalito, in charge of Captain Wilson, left San Francisco for Sausalito at the same time.

“Both ferry-boats passed Alcatraz on the east side, but owing to the dense fog it was impossible to discern each other. When less than a hundred feet apart the passengers on the Tiburon saw the Sausalito heading for them at full speed. Captain White had seen the danger, however, and had ordered the engines reversed, so that the Tiburon was going full speed astern. The Sausalito held on her way, and the passengers say they could have thrown a biscuit on the rival boat had they so desired.

“At one time it looked as though a collision could not be avoided, and the passengers on both steamers made a rush for life-preservers. A narrow margin of seven feet averted the catastrophe and probably saved many lives.”

Captain White was quoted by the Call: “The Sausalito was making fully twelve knots an hour and she fairly flew toward us. I never thought we could escape her and aimed at taking a glancing blow. She just missed us, however, and all's well that ends well."

Evidently not. More risky behavior was reported in June 1898:

“The friendly practice of racing, in which the ferry boats Tiburon and Sausalito have been engaging for some time, came near ending In a collision last evening, As usual, they entered upon a contest as The Tiburon got a hundred feet the start, but the Sausalito gradually pulled up to her. When opposite Angel Island Captain White of the Tiburon veered slightly from his former course, the new course taking him obliquely across the Sausalito's bow.” This time a new Captain Wilson “reversed his engines in time to permit his adversary to cross by a narrow margin— about twenty or thirty feet. Otherwise, the Sausalito would have struck the Tiburon amidship at full speed.”

When the Sausalito rammed and sank the ferry San Rafael three years later, the paper ran this eyewitness account by a passenger, J. D. Warrack:

“The fog was very dense, in fact I have never seen a thicker fog in the six years I have lived across the bay. The San Rafael was going at half speed from the time we started until the Sausalito ran into her.

"I heard whistles blown while we were playing cards, but I did not pay any particular attention to them. We knew nothing of the Sausalito being close to us until the collision took place.

"There was considerable excitement but no panic. Women were screaming and the men were trying to quiet them. When I got around to the other side of the boat the Sausalito was close to us. She had backed off after the collision and then came up head-on and tied up to the San Rafael. I helped to get women and children from the San Rafael to the Sausalito.

"I think that about 200 people had got on board the Sausalito when a fireman of the San Rafael came on deck and said the boat was sinking. The life boats of the two ferry-boats were lowered by this time. I saw many people jump into the water when it was stated that the San Rafael was sinking. I should judge that eighty people went into the water. We threw life preservers over from the Sausalito and lowered lanterns with ropes.”

Even after that tragedy, which resulted in two deaths, the Sausalito continued to engage in hazardous practices. In February, 1902, she had another near miss with the ferry James F. Donahue. And in 1903, while the ironically-named captain C. J. Lucky was trying to avoid yet another collision, she went aground on the western side of Angel Island.

Against all odds, the old ferry survived into the 1930s.

PHOTO FROM SAUSALITO HISTORICAL SOCIETY

This photograph of the captain and crew of the Sausalito dates from the mid-1920s

Missing the Train

Larry Clinton Sausalito Historical Society

The Marin Tocsin was a weekly newspaper published in San Rafael in the late 1800s. As you can imagine, a newspaper named after an alarm bell could hardly be expected to deliver objective reporting. In an 1890 article the editor, James H. Wilkins, used a florid, and sometimes incomprehensible, style to report on a woebegone San Franciscan’s mishap involving the North Pacific Coast Railroad:

PHOTO FROM SAUSALITO HISTORICAL SOCIETY

The Sausalito railroad and ferry wharf in 1888

“Last Sunday the first train from Sausalito was pulled to San Anselmo by two engines: one engine with part of the train going into San Rafael and the four rear cars going through to Duncan's.” That would be Duncan’s Mills, the last stop on one NPCRR line near the Sonoma coast.

“Dick Smith, a young San Francisco blood and his ‘best girl,’ were on the train for a trip to Camp Taylor [now Samuel P. Taylor State Park, near Fairfax] with a cigar in his month and a switch cane in his hand. Dick walked up to the station from the rear car, supposing the train would pull into the station and stop. But instead of this it pulled by at a ten-mile pace, and as Dick caught a glimpse through the car-window of his fair friend, he became frantic, making vigorous and violent movements to attract the attention of the engineer; but Bob Buchanan, the knight of the throttle, kept his eyes on the bed of the road as if apprehensive of an open drawbridge ahead.

“As I saw Bob shortening the stroke of his valves with one hand and hauling on the throttle with the other, I was convinced that Richard would have a chance to see some of the finest civil engineering as well as some of the most picturesque scenery and romantic mountains this side of the Andes. Learning there was no other train up the road, Dick started for Camp Taylor afoot. Your reporter was at the water-tank when he passed, and being personally acquainted with him, hid behind the wood pile in order to find out if he was discussing the situation with ‘Richard himself.’ Not being a short hand writer, coupled with the rapidity of his epigrammatic utterances, it would be impossible to report him in his peculiar style and strength of language. But in vehemence and impassioned rhetoric he was eclipsing anything I ever heard from the lips of Parson Brownlow, even with Andrew Johnson for his theme. He was basting Buchanan in pure sand-lot English, and criticized without gloves everybody connected with the North Pacific Coast R. R. system, from the general manager down to the peanut vender. I had read of the phillipic [denunciation] of Cicero that drove Caltoline from Rome, and in listening to Dick's vindictive eloquence, I could understand why it was the traitor left the city.”

That esoteric allusion refers to a plot by the Roman senator Lucius Sergius Catilina to overthrow the consulship of Marcus Tullius Cicero. In 63 BC, Cicero exposed the conspiracy and forced Catilina to flee from Rome.

“But,” continues the report, “Dick doubtless has established the sincerity of his devotion, and the girl who would fail to tie onto a fellow that followed the train as he did, from San Anselmo to Camp Taylor, has no tender chord in her bosom to render back music to the touch of feeling.”

The Tocsin, which can be accessed online at https://cdnc.ucr.edu, carried no further reports on Mr. Smith’s love life, so we’ll never know how things worked out with his “best girl.”

Sausalito Land & Ferry Company Survives a Rocky Start

By Jack Tracy and Larry Clinton, Sausalito Historical Society

After acquiring much of William Richardson’s Rancho Sausalito in the 1850s, attorney Samuel Reading Throckmorton joined with land speculators and created The Sausalito Land & Ferry Company to develop the town. Jack Tracy tells of the challenges these entrepreneurs faced in his book Sausalito — Moments in Time:

They had a survey made and a map drawn up showing future streets and lots available to the public. They named the streets mainly in honor of themselves and quickly staked out prime lots for their villas overlooking Richardson’s Bay.

The company struggled into the seventies with infusions of cash by the partners, who strained their lines of credit in San Francisco’s financial community. Although a few lots were sold and a few homes were built, people were not flocking to the new utopia as had been hoped. Small hotels were built near the ferry landing so that potential customers might have a leisurely look at the properties and experience the subline climate and serenity of Sausalito.

PHOTO FROM SAUSALITO HISTORICAL SOCIETY

James H. Gardner, builder and original resident of the Bower, shown mounted on his horse “Dick.”

Samuel Throckmorton tried to foreclose on the Sausalito Land & Ferry Company several times, but each time the determined businessmen successfully evaded the hammer. At one desperate point, in order to raise money, they transferred all the remaining property to Maurice Dore for one dollar. Dore, whose land auction business had prospered, was the only one whose credit was still good. The company held auctions from time to time, trying to drum up enthusiasm for Sausalito lots, but they were competing with cheap land in many new towns around the Bay Area, many with railroad connections. In an effort to lure newcomers with capital, every new town around San Francisco Bay was promising prosperity, healthful climates, rapid growth, and boundless opportunity.

Still the prospects looked good to the men of the Sausalito Land & Ferry Company. Completion of the trans-continental railroad in 1869 injected new vitality into California, and San Francisco had become the financial center of the West. The Pacific Mail Steamship Company had established regular routes to the Orient from San Francisco, and a thriving California grain trade filled the bay with ships from Liverpool and New England.

As grain ships were laid up in Carquinez Strait and Richardson’s Bay waiting for the grain to be harvested or for the price to go up in home posts, their masters and crews became enamored of life in California. Many of the earliest settlers in Sausalito were British, who perhaps preferred the quiet country life to that of dynamic, raw San Francisco. Some were sent to represent British companies, some came from the vessels themselves. Others came to seek their fortunes in the legendary land of California. Most of the English residents of Sausalito were “second sons.” That is, they came from landed wealthy English families and although they usually had sufficient annual stipends, they had no titles. The eldest son stood to inherit the title and property in England, leaving the other sons and daughters to seek their fortunes elsewhere. The men took positions in banking and brokerage houses, and the women often married American businessmen.

The accompanying photo shows the Bower, built in 1869 on one of the first lots sold by the Sausalito Land & Ferry Company.

Warship “Captured” in San Francisco Bay

By Larry Clinton, Sausalito Historical Society

The USS Charleston was a steel-hulled cruiser launched in July 1888 by Union Iron Works, San Francisco. Just the fourth such warship launched by the U.S. Navy, she attracted lots of attention, as noted in an article from the Daily Alta California newspaper in May, 1890:

Officers Driven From the New Cruiser by a Boarding Party

For two weeks prior to her departure to the Sandwich Islands the cruiser Charleston rode at anchor in the cove near Sausalito. Before seeking that anchorage she had been anchored in the stream off Jackson-street wharf. Parties and excursions went aboard the new warship almost daily, and on the vessel it was one continuous holiday. After moving over to Sausalito there were no more excursions and no receptions to speak of. Military, naval, and even social circles were somewhat mystified and asked, "Why this change?" It was not known until a day or two before the Charleston sailed for the islands why, metaphorically speaking, the "at home" sign, was pulled down and the "gone to the country" sign was tacked up on the war vessel.

About three weeks ago one of the chief officers on the vessel invited a well-known society lady in this city to take breakfast with him on the vessel. The invitation included the lady's chaperon and a lady friend. The lady, who may be called Mrs. X, became ill, but she asked the officer if her chaperon and lady friend could accept his hospitality without her presence. The reply was in keeping with the gallantry of an officer of the American Navy, and on the morning of Thursday, May 8th, he sent the launch to the shore to get Mrs. X.'s two friends. On reaching the shore he was fairly paralyzed to find that the invitation to breakfast had been extended to sixteen ladies besides Mrs. X's two friends. The officer's gallantry was sorely tried, but it did not desert him. He hired two more steam launches and took the "breakfast excursion," as he subsequently termed it, out to the Charleston. The officers' cook nearly lost his head. He was not prepared to feed such a large section of San Francisco society. The other officers of the vessel saw that something must be done, and after a short consultation they resolved on a heroic measure. They drew lots, and eighteen breakfastless officers steamed to the city to break their fast, leaving the "guests" in full possession of the warship. To say that they were mad that their hospitality should be thus abused would be stating the case very mildly, and as soon as the guests were ashore the order was given that no more visiting invitations be issued, and, that the Charleston might not be seized again, she was moved to Sausalito, out of harm's way. The capture of the new cruiser has caused considerable comment in the upper circles of society during the last few days.

According to the Naval History and Heritage Command, during the Spanish-American War, USS Charleston was sent to raise the American flag over Guam, then a Spanish possession. She next joined Admiral Dewey's fleet in Manila Bay. She remained in the Philippines, bombarding insurgent positions to aid Army forces advancing ashore, and taking part in the naval expedition which captured Subic Bay in September 1899. She eventually grounded on an uncharted reef near Camiguin Island north of Luzon and was wrecked beyond salvage.

USS Charleston in Hong Kong, 1898

The Wreck of the Elizabeth

By Larry Clinton, Sausalito Historical Soceity

It’s well known that Tennessee Cove got its name from a ship that was wrecked there in 1853. But it was also the scene of another shipwreck, 38 years later.

The 3-masted wood sailing ship Elisabeth had sailed from New York in 1891 carrying a cargo of assorted merchandise, a crew of 26, and three passengers — the wife and children of the captain, James Colcord. She approached the Golden Gate in a furious February gale and was approached by two tugboats offering to tow her into port. But Capt. Colcord refused their help because he felt they were overcharging. Finally, he accepted a tow for $50 from the tug Alert. According to an eyewitness report, “As soon as the tug started ahead, the hawser parted and the ship commenced to drift in towards the shore.”

Another hawser was deployed, but the ship “was drifting steadily to leeward, there being a strong and increasing breeze and the tug being unable to make any headway. At about 4 p.m. the ship struck heavily on Four Fathom Bank or Potato Patch, the tug still towing and whistling for assistance. Soon after striking, the hawser broke or was cut away.” 

The eyewitness, Chief officer W.C. Barclay, reported: “[Another] tug now came to us and the Alert went away. Captain Colcord ordered [a] cutter launched to carry his wife and two children to the tug, but she swamped under … with three men in her, they being picked up by the tug.”

The ensuing tragedy was reported both in the New York Times and San Francisco’s Daily Alta California.

According to the Times: “As the boat struck the water it capsized, throwing three sailors … into the water. They clung to the bottom of the boat, and were picked up by the tug.

“The Captain’s family were then lowered in another boat and taken to the tug by the mate and two seamen. The boat returned to the ship, and its occupants perished with the rest of the ship’s crew. The tugs were unable to get near the ship, and late at night returned to port, leaving the vessel to her fate. Early this morning a tug went to the scene of the wreck and found that nothing was left of the Elizabeth. she had gone to pieces during the night.”

The Daily Alta California account focused on brave but futile rescue attempts by local life-saving crews: “When daylight broke yesterday morning the storm was still raging, but notwithstanding, a tug put out at 6 o'clock in the vain endeavor to reach the scene of the wreck. She was obliged to return, however, with the report that the wreck had gone to pieces, and that all those on board had undoubtedly perished …

“Although the elements had seemingly combined to render fruitless all attempts at saving the Elizabeth's crew, the gallant work was persevered in all through the dark and stormy night.

Seeing that it was impossible to reach the wreck by water, one attempt having resulted in the death of Captain Henry of the Baker's Beach Life-Saving Station, the heroic and almost impossible task was decided on of reaching Tennessee Cove by land from Sausalito. Captain Holahan and crew of the Golden Gate Life-Saving Station had arrived at Fort Point, and, together with the remaining members of the Bakers' Beach crew, with the cart containing the ropes and fittings, were transported to Sausalito on the tug Active, reaching there at 12:45 a. m.

“The problem was to find the road to the beach, and convey the men, with the cart and appliances, to the scene of the wreck. Opposite the ferry at Sausalito was a stable, kept by a Portuguese, who was routed out, and an effort was made by Captain Holahan to secure some horses. Although there were fourteen horses in the stable, threats and entreaties were alike useless on the stolid fellow, who could not be prevailed upon to let his horses go. Seeing that much precious time was being lost by a useless parley, Captain Holahan gave up the attempt, and his brave fellows immediately volunteered to drag the cart over the almost impassable road to Tennessee Cove.

“A harness for each man was rigged up from the ropes in the cart, and out into the dark night they manfully trod, almost blinded by the torrents of rain which fell unceasingly. Under the guidance of a resident of Sausalito, the party toiled over the rocky road, which abounded with deep gullies washed out by the rain of the previous day. For fourteen miles the cart was thus dragged, up steep hills and narrow valleys, until finally at 4:45 Sunday morning Tennessee Cove was reached. Not a vestige of the wreck could be seen in any direction, and accordingly Captain Holahan sent out two parties of four men each, one up and one down the beach, but it was not until 2 o'clock in the afternoon that the wreck was discovered at Rocky Point, three miles to the northward of the big lagoon. The wreckage of the ship and cargo was piled up under the rocky bluff, and no signs of life could be seen on board.

“The lifeless bodies of three men were seen in the rigging. The party sent in the direction of Bolinas Bay returned in the afternoon and brought the welcome news that five of the Elizabeth's crew had been washed ashore during the night, and were being well cared for at a rancher's house.” Captain Colcord was not among them. He died of injuries he suffered when heavy waves swamped the doomed Elizabeth.

COURTESY ILLUSTRATION

The Elizabeth in better times

The Many Names of Sausalito

By Larry Clinton, Sausalito Historical Society

During the gold rush era, it seems that almost everyone who wrote down the name of our town spelled it differently. For instance, San Francisco’s Daily Alta California newspaper spelled it five different ways in 1850.

Reporting on maritime news in May of that year the paper noted that a steamship called “Driver” was anchored in Soucilito. The captain, according to the paper, “was fearful of the desertion of his own crew should he send them to town,” since so many sailors were jumping ship in San Francisco to head to the gold fields.

The following August the paper stated: “A French brig of war arrived yesterday afternoon, and proceeded to Saucelita. We did not learn her name, or whence she came.”

Covering a sailor’s strike later that month, the paper stated: “On Saturday, a party of men went on board a vessel in the harbor and took away several sailors who had shipped for a voyage, they having agreed upon wages less than the usual sum paid. We learn that one of the men of war, now at Saucilito, has been sent for to regulate matters.”

An ad for a Marin auction of “the entire landed estate of John Reed, deceased” that September, described the property as consisting of “two leagues of land, more or less, situated in the aforesaid county, between Sausoleto and San Raphael” and adjoining the ranch of Capt. Wm. Richardson.

Finally John C. Fremont, the adventurer who named the Golden Gate, got the name game right. As one of California’s first senators, Fremont spearheaded a resolution, passed unanimously in September of 1850, to establish post routes here, including one “from San Francisco, by Sausalito and Benicia, to Sacramento.” After serving in the Senate, Fremont became, fittingly, the governor of California.

Other early variants of the name—all corruptions of the Spanish term sauzalito, meaning "small willow grove"— included South Soleto, Saulito, Sancolito, Sancilito, Sousilto, Sausilito and the one that stuck around the longest: Saucelito. In fact, Sausalito and Saucelito were used interchangeably for 50 years until the matter was finally settled by the U.S. Post Office.

In October 1888, the Sausalito News reported: “Several months ago the Postoffice department at Washington, D. C. officially ruled that the name of this place should be spelled Sausalito and not Saucelito. The people here were spelling and writing it both ways, and it became necessary that one way should be permanently decided upon, and that way was SAUSALITO. And this decision was reached after the oldest and best authenticated records had been carefully perused and considered.”  A few months later, the News reported that letters addressed to Saucelito were winding up in the dead letter office.