CASANFRA-L Archives

From: James Drumm <>
Subject: [CASANFRA] Shurtleff, con't
Date: Tue, 02 Nov 1999 10:17:28 -0800

I never understood why so many "names" in SF came from Shasta, my youthful
impression of that being "just more mining towns", but a few sentances
explained that: In 1850, Independance day was celebrated in only one known
place in Northern CA, as there were no towns north of Sacramento in that
year, 50 men gathered to feast and toast the nation, Dr Ben Shurtleff made
the address. Elected Reading Spring's first Alcalde until elections to form
the government, educated in eastern colleges in medicine and law under
Oliver Wendell Holmes, he had witnessed the first operation under
anesthesia1846 at Harvard. Elected State Senator 1861, was alternate
presidential elector 1872. After ten years of County Physician, plus
private practice and owning a drugstore in Shasta, moved to Napa to serve
as director of Napa State asylum. His son the Honorable Charles Allerton
Shurtleff, born 1857, spoke thus in 1934:
(excerpt)
"1854 Shasta was at the highest peak of it's prosperity, in the zenith of
it's commercial greatness. It was the largest town north of Marysville,
with 3000 inhabitants, among them were: Judge and Mrs Royal T. Spragus, who
died as Chief Justice of CA Supreme court, Judge and Mrs William T.
Dangerfield, First presiding judge of present('34) Superior Court of SF,
Daniel and Mrs Callaghan, pres of 1st Nat'l Bank of SF, later Crocker Nat'l
Bank, Alpheus Bull and wife, a Roman (?) conducted a book and stationery
store in Shasta, later the same in SF, and Dr and Mrs Benjamin Shurtleff".

My point is: If you search for names in SF, try Shasta in 1800's. The links
are strong and numerous.

--JD

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• [CASANFRA] Shurtleff, con't by James Drumm <>