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Author: sandrabordelon
Surnames: Cameron, Fuller, Allen, Chase, Larne,
Patten, Michel, Lemoine, Prince, Spicer,
Witherill, Tupper, Brown, Thorne, Maddox, Wick,
Aughenbaugh, Brower, Larue, McLaughlin
Classification: biography
Message Board URL:
http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.cameron/1793/mb.ashx
Message Board Post:
DUNCAN CAMERON.
Few men in Alameda County are better known than
Duncan CamÂ-eron. He is a native of O'Delltown,
County of Huntington, Canada, close to the New
York border. He came to California via Cape Horn,
from New York City, and arrived in San Francisco
September 24th, 1849. On the voyage he was twice
shipwrecked, and suffered considerable
privations. In San Francisco he for a short time
traded in groceries, and in January, 1851, went
farming in Pacheco Valley, and continued all
winter. Here he turned up the virgin adobe for
the first time, and found it hard work. He
returned to San Francisco for a spell, and lost
all his capital in trade. After this he worked
for a while at Sacramento. Disliking the place on
account of its unhealthfulness, he sought another
location and pitched upon San AntoÂ-nio, which he
reached via Martinez, on horseback. He started
the first livery stable in the place with three
horses, which he kept in a yard. It was for a
time precarious work, but the business li!
ved.
. At that time there was no wharf, merely a
little embarcadero, in the place. The means of
communication with San Francisco was by launches
and whaleboats manned by Portuguese, who would
pull across the bay when there -were passengers
enough to make a load. The charge for crossing in
this manner was $100 a trip, and it took about
four hours to make it. The only inhabitants of
the town then were a butcher named Fuller, Allen,
Chase, Larne, the Pattens, Michel, and Lemoine,
besides some Portuguese who boated, fished, and
raised poultry. There were some Mexicans and
Californians who were employed about the ranches.
One hundred Chilanos made the place at one time a
rendezvous. There were two saw-mills then in the
Redwoods, and two more were built afterwards.
They were Prince's, Spicer & Witherill's, Tupper
and Brown's, and Thorne's. They continued about
five years, until the timber was all cut down.
The livery business did well, and in 1853 he
built a large stable and had eight or ten horses.
This he sold out within a year, and in 1854
bought a piece of ground and built upon it,
concluding to make Brooklyn his permanent home.
Purchased the Post-office block, now the most
valuable property in the town. In 1854 married
Miss Annie Lydia Maddox, of Castro Valley. At
this time there was no farming done, only what
was done by the Pattens and Chase. In fact, none
was done down the valley nearer than San Lorenzo.
On the Alameda encinal there were only Wick ware,
Hibbard AughenÂ-baugh and Brower, who raised
tomatoes and other vegetables on the edge of the
peninsula, close to the estuary. Larue and Patten
had some squatter troubles, Larne having
pre-empted some water front claimed by the
latter; but in a lawsuit the latter was beaten.
It was in 1856 that Mr. Cameron started in the
stage business, which brought him his special
popularity and local fame. He started an
opposition line to McLaughlin's, then running.
The run to San Josè was very lively. For a time
the fare was only $1 per passenÂ-ger between San
Antonio and San Jose, and the trip was most
expeditiously made. The opposition was kept up
for several years, when Cameron was compelled to
withdraw.
" Dunk," as he was familiarly called, filled
various pablic positions, from Constable to
Supervisor. He was Road Overseer and Public
Administrator; for three years he filled the
position of County Supervisor. He took always an
active and earnest part in politics, and was in
succession a Whig and a Republican.
In 1858 he bought a quantity of land for farming
purposes, which, however, he partly disposed of
in 1861. Previous to the real estate excitement
of 1868, he purchased. a tract of land north of
the town of Brooklyn, known as the Cameron Tract,
for $18,000, which he disposed of within a year
for $50,000. Mr. Cameron has a brother, now in
the East, named Carlysle, who was for a while
Justice of the Peace for Brooklyn Township, and a
frequent contributor to the colÂ-umns of the
local press, always writing in a pleasant,
humorous vein. Mr. Ashley Cameron, for many years
a prominent resident of WashÂ-ington Township, is
also a brother. His aged father lived in this
county for a number of years, and his was the
oldest name on. the great register of Alameda
County, before he returned to his old EastÂ-ern
home
Having acquired a considerable competency, Mr.
Cameron has given his two children, a son and
daughter, a superior education, and amuses
himself with occasional trips from home, seeing
the world, and comparing other places with that
in which he lives. He never wavers in the opinion
that there is no place like Alameda County. Mr.
and Mrs. Cameron being among the first American
couples marÂ-ried in this county, there has
always been an interest attached to them by the
old settlers.
The Centenial Yearbook of Alameda County, 1886
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