All around the San Francisco Bay, as well as in other parts of California where there were Mexican or Spanish land grants, squatters and squatter claims existed. In some cases the squatters were right while in others they were not intentionally wrong. The United States government encouraged and invited settlement on public lands and when there was a fair presumption that the lands settled on had not been part of a land grant there was some justification for the squatters to take possession. The … [Read more...]
Squatter claims in San Francisco
December 22, 2013 By 1 Comment
In a case where there could be no reasonable question as to the validity of John Sutter’s title, the claim of a squatter in Sacramento would not be more extravagant than one made in other parts of the state, especially San Francisco. Except for the built-up portions of the city squatting became, and for years continued to be, a very normal method for acquiring and holding land. Not only did men squat for themselves but they would actually squat on property for others. For twenty years a number … [Read more...]
Sheriff in search of squatters
December 8, 2013 By Leave a Comment
The day after the gunfight with squatters in the streets of Sacramento Sheriff McKinney and about twenty men left town in search of squatters involved in the gun battle. They proceeded out past Sutter’s Fort and the Five Mile House to the Pavilion where they learned squatters were at a roadside drinking house two miles further called Allen’s. McKinney divided his men into six squads and ordered them to approach the saloon from different directions. When McKinney’s group arrived he dismounted … [Read more...]
Sacramento Squatters arrested
November 3, 2013 By Leave a Comment
On August 13, 1849 James McClatchy was arrested with a man named Michael Moran for interfering with the sheriff in the attempt to execute a judgment of forcible entry and retainer from the Sacramento County Court against certain squatters. A justice of the peace ordered them held over to answer the charge and since they did not have the two thousand dollars bail they were jailed in the prison ship off Sacramento’s Embarcadero. The next morning as the sheriff executed another writ on Second … [Read more...]
Squatter resistance to Sutter
October 21, 2013 By 1 Comment
A squatter meeting was held at the Herkimer House on 4th Street on the evening of July 1st with the object of raising funds to make a combined resistance to all lawsuits brought to enforce the title of John Sutter to the land around Sacramento. Dr. Charles Robinson was chairman and he was particularly bitter against the city council, called the common council then, which he accused of legislating in favor of Sutter’s claim to the land which Robinson thought they clearly had no right to do. … [Read more...]
A squatter open to reason
October 19, 2013 By 2 Comments
Occasionally a squatter could be found who was open to reason as to who the land he had taken over really belonged. Much of the ground squatted on had been cultivated by John Sutter until his workmen left him in 1848 to mine for gold. A few days after the excitement engendered by the recent destruction of squatters’ shanties in Sacramento one man, working ground that had once been farmed by Sutter, was asked by what authority he expected to hold the land he was on. “By preoccupation and … [Read more...]
Squatter meetings continue
October 13, 2013 By Leave a Comment
From that December 4th 1849 meeting until well near the end of summer in 1850 squatter meetings continued to be held in Sacramento and the squatters themselves grew more violent and angry. At first these meetings were considered as mere boasting but in time they began to have an effect. Sam Brannan owned a store on John Sutter’s land and as one of the most active and influential men of the day, along with many other capitalists and politicians, he was on the side of Sutter’s grant. Because of … [Read more...]
Destruction of squatter homes
September 24, 2013 By Leave a Comment
On Saturday evening that December 1, 1849 a meeting was held in Sacramento where much indignation was expressed toward the actions of city officials in the destruction of squatter homes. The opposition held a so called “law and order” meeting the following Tuesday. A speaker stand was made of dry goods boxes piled against the side of a saloon and bowling alley on K Street called “The Gem” and the crowd was large. Resolutions were presented saying the squatters acted lawlessly and in order to … [Read more...]
Early Sacramento and John Sutter
September 15, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Early Sacramento was laid out on a Mexican land grant given to John Sutter by Governor Alvarado on June 18th, 1841. With the discovery of gold in January 1848 great crowds of miners converged at the confluence of the American and Sacramento Rivers where John Sutter’s fort was located. The embarcadero along the Sacramento River became a lively place and a town was laid out and took the name of the river, Sacramento. At first it was a town of tents, travelers and merchandise on the way to the … [Read more...]
Many squatters across California
September 7, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Because of the many squatters across various parts of California, including cattle thieves and other freebooters who took property from the old ranchos and the comparatively small number of land and cattle owners, there grew almost from the beginning a large squatter interest which organized itself in various places into leagues and associations and influenced to a considerable extent the political, judicial and legislative history of California. With the absence of settled land titles actual … [Read more...]
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