John Marsh (pioneer)
Encyclopedia
“Doctor” John Marsh was born in 1799 in South Danvers, Massachusetts
and died in Pacheco, California in 1856. He was an early pioneer and settler in California
, and although he did not have a medical degree, is often regarded as the first person to practice medicine in California.
in Andover in 1819. He attended Harvard University
from 1819 to 1823 and received a bachelor’s degree. He then studied medicine with a Boston
doctor.
Marsh migrated west, living in the Michigan
Territory, where he opened a school, the first in what is now Minnesota
. Marsh became an Indian agent
for the Sioux
Agency, and took a French/Indian mistress who bore him a son named Charles.
Marsh resumed his study of medicine, with a Dr. Purcell of Fort Snelling. He lived in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin
, where he got involved in the Black Hawk War
between the Sioux and their rivals, the Fox and Sauk, and was blamed for a massacre of the Fox and Sauk by the Sioux. As a result, he was forced to flee to New Salem, Illinois
, taking his mistress and small child with him. Leaving them there, he returned to Prairie du Chien. His mistress, pregnant again and abandoned by her lover, tried to walk for several hundred miles to rejoin him. The journey exhausted her and she and the child died in childbirth. Marsh then gave his small son to a Painter family in New Salem to be raised, and once again became involved in Indian affairs. He was discovered selling guns illegally to some of the Indians and had to flee the territory, this time settling in Independence, Missouri
, where he became a merchant. He visited his son once more, then his business failed and in 1836 he emigrated, in the employ of the American Fur Company
to Santa Fe, New Mexico
and thence to Southern California
via the Santa Fe Trail
.
. The degree was written in Latin, which none of them could read, so they took his word and granted him permission to practice medicine. Marsh was quite successful in his new profession, but his prices were very high, sometimes as much as a head of cattle to deliver a baby. Nevertheless he is credited as being the first person to practice medicine in LA, California.
Eventually he made enemies in Southern California and moved north in 1837 to the eastern side of Mount Diablo in what is now Contra Costa County
. In 1838 he acquired the Rancho Los Meganos
Mexican land grant from Jose Noriega on what is now called Marsh Creek on the western edge of the town of Brentwood
and just to the east of what is now Clayton, California
. He prospered here, but he once again engaged in sharp business practices. He began to practice medicine, and again charged very high prices. There is some evidence that he cared for some of the survivors of the Donner Party
while living near Mount Diablo. Marsh acquired tens of thousands of head of cattle and lived the life of a wealthy ranchero. In addition, he paid very low wages to his workers, and many of them hated him. However, in 1841, when the first American emigrant party, the Bartleson-Bidwell Party
, came to California from Missouri, Marsh invited them to be his guests, and thus the California Trail
terminated in Brentwood. He worked behind the scenes to promote American statehood and in March 1845 wrote a letter signed by himself and 23 other expatriates, announcing a clandestine meeting for the Fourth of July. This letter has been designated the “Call To Foreigners” by modern historians. While Marsh does not take credit as the author it is universally agreed that it is his work. The meeting’s purpose was to, “promote the union and harmony and best interests of all the foreigners resident in California...”
During this period he began a search for his son, Charles, which proved to be fruitless. In 1851, the Reverend William W. Smith introduced Marsh to Abigail "Abby" Smith Tuck, a schoolteacher from New England, who also served as principal at a girls school in San Jose. After a brief two-week courtship, they were married. Soon after the wedding, the couple moved into the old adobe. On 12 March 1852, she gave birth to a daughter they named Alice.
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Marsh soon began construction of a magnificent home built entirely of stone quarried from the nearby hills. Abby chose the location of the home next to Marsh Creek
, with a fine view of the surrounding valley and Mount Diablo, a few miles south of the present city of Brentwood, California
. Designed by San Francisco architect Thomas Boyd, the Gothic-Revival style home incorporated a sixty-five foot tower and exterior porch supported by octagon pillars. The entire cost of the home did not exceed $20,000. Abby died, however, before the Stone House was completed. Marsh ultimately moved into the new house about three weeks before he was murdered.
His son and daughter inherited the ranch and stone house in which they lived, but who apparently let the property fall into disrepair and decay, and eventually became renters. They were visited in May, 1862 by William Henry Brewer
and the California Geological Survey
. The mansion, undergoing stabilization since 2006, still stands as part of Cowell Ranch/John Marsh Property State Historic Park which is preparing to apply for status as a National Historic Monument. The Mansion is on the list of National Historic Places, and funds are being sought for restoration. It is not open to the public.
, he was ambushed and murdered by three of his "vaquero" employees over a dispute over their wages. A California Historical Landmark
(#722) plaque still marks the site of the murder.
Alice Marsh was entrusted to the care of Mrs. Thompson at Marsh’s Landing, not far from present day Antioch, California
. Alice Marsh married John Camron, one of the builders of Mt. Diablo toll road.
An elementary school in Antioch, California
bears Marsh's name.
The California State Route 4 bypass around the cities of Oakley, California
and Brentwood, California
has been named John Marsh Heritage Highway in honor of Dr. Marsh.
Danvers, Massachusetts
Danvers is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. Located on the Danvers River near the northeastern coast of Massachusetts, Danvers is most widely known for its association with the 1692 Salem witch trials, and for its famous asylum, the Danvers State Hospital.-17th century:The land...
and died in Pacheco, California in 1856. He was an early pioneer and settler in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and although he did not have a medical degree, is often regarded as the first person to practice medicine in California.
Early life
Marsh graduated from Phillips AcademyPhillips Academy
Phillips Academy is a selective, co-educational independent boarding high school for boarding and day students in grades 9–12, along with a post-graduate year...
in Andover in 1819. He attended Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
from 1819 to 1823 and received a bachelor’s degree. He then studied medicine with a Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
doctor.
Marsh migrated west, living in the Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
Territory, where he opened a school, the first in what is now Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. Marsh became an Indian agent
Indian agent
In United States history, an Indian agent was an individual authorized to interact with Native American tribes on behalf of the U.S. government.-Indian agents:*Leander Clark was agent for the Sac and Fox in Iowa beginning in 1866....
for the Sioux
Sioux
The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...
Agency, and took a French/Indian mistress who bore him a son named Charles.
Marsh resumed his study of medicine, with a Dr. Purcell of Fort Snelling. He lived in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin
Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin
Prairie du Chien is a city in and the county seat of Crawford County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 5,911 at the 2010 census. Its Zip Code is 53821....
, where he got involved in the Black Hawk War
Black Hawk War
The Black Hawk War was a brief conflict fought in 1832 between the United States and Native Americans headed by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted soon after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis, and Kickapoos known as the "British Band" crossed the Mississippi River into the U.S....
between the Sioux and their rivals, the Fox and Sauk, and was blamed for a massacre of the Fox and Sauk by the Sioux. As a result, he was forced to flee to New Salem, Illinois
New Salem, Illinois
New Salem is a village in Pike County, Illinois, United States. The population was 136 at the 2000 census.-Geography:New Salem is located at ....
, taking his mistress and small child with him. Leaving them there, he returned to Prairie du Chien. His mistress, pregnant again and abandoned by her lover, tried to walk for several hundred miles to rejoin him. The journey exhausted her and she and the child died in childbirth. Marsh then gave his small son to a Painter family in New Salem to be raised, and once again became involved in Indian affairs. He was discovered selling guns illegally to some of the Indians and had to flee the territory, this time settling in Independence, Missouri
Independence, Missouri
Independence is the fourth largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri, and is contained within the counties of Jackson and Clay. It is part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area...
, where he became a merchant. He visited his son once more, then his business failed and in 1836 he emigrated, in the employ of the American Fur Company
American Fur Company
The American Fur Company was founded by John Jacob Astor in 1808. The company grew to monopolize the fur trade in the United States by 1830, and became one of the largest businesses in the country. The company was one the first great trusts in American business...
to Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
and thence to Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
via the Santa Fe Trail
Santa Fe Trail
The Santa Fe Trail was a 19th-century transportation route through central North America that connected Missouri with Santa Fe, New Mexico. Pioneered in 1822 by William Becknell, it served as a vital commercial and military highway until the introduction of the railroad to Santa Fe in 1880...
.
In California
In southern California, Marsh found that he was the only person who had any knowledge of western medicine. He presented his Harvard degree to the local Mexican Government of Alta CaliforniaAlta California
Alta California was a province and territory in the Viceroyalty of New Spain and later a territory and department in independent Mexico. The territory was created in 1769 out of the northern part of the former province of Las Californias, and consisted of the modern American states of California,...
. The degree was written in Latin, which none of them could read, so they took his word and granted him permission to practice medicine. Marsh was quite successful in his new profession, but his prices were very high, sometimes as much as a head of cattle to deliver a baby. Nevertheless he is credited as being the first person to practice medicine in LA, California.
Eventually he made enemies in Southern California and moved north in 1837 to the eastern side of Mount Diablo in what is now Contra Costa County
Contra Costa County, California
Contra Costa County is a primarily suburban county in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 1,049,025...
. In 1838 he acquired the Rancho Los Meganos
Rancho Los Meganos
Rancho Los Meganos was a Mexican land grant in present day Contra Costa County, California given in 1835 by Governor José Castro to Jose Noriega. "Meganos" means "sand dunes" in Spanish. Rancho Los Meganos extends eastward from present day Antioch along the San Joaquin River to the Old River...
Mexican land grant from Jose Noriega on what is now called Marsh Creek on the western edge of the town of Brentwood
Brentwood, California
Brentwood is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. It is located in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. The population is 51,481 as of 2010....
and just to the east of what is now Clayton, California
Clayton, California
Clayton is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. The population was 10,897 as of the 2010 census.- Geography :...
. He prospered here, but he once again engaged in sharp business practices. He began to practice medicine, and again charged very high prices. There is some evidence that he cared for some of the survivors of the Donner Party
Donner Party
The Donner Party was a group of American pioneers who set out for California in a wagon train. Delayed by a series of mishaps, they spent the winter of 1846–47 snowbound in the Sierra Nevada...
while living near Mount Diablo. Marsh acquired tens of thousands of head of cattle and lived the life of a wealthy ranchero. In addition, he paid very low wages to his workers, and many of them hated him. However, in 1841, when the first American emigrant party, the Bartleson-Bidwell Party
Bartleson-Bidwell Party
In 1841, the Bartleson–Bidwell Party led by Captain John Bartleson and John Bidwell, became the first American emigrants to attempt a wagon crossing from Missouri to California.-The trail:...
, came to California from Missouri, Marsh invited them to be his guests, and thus the California Trail
California Trail
The California Trail was an emigrant trail of about across the western half of the North American continent from Missouri River towns to what is now the state of California...
terminated in Brentwood. He worked behind the scenes to promote American statehood and in March 1845 wrote a letter signed by himself and 23 other expatriates, announcing a clandestine meeting for the Fourth of July. This letter has been designated the “Call To Foreigners” by modern historians. While Marsh does not take credit as the author it is universally agreed that it is his work. The meeting’s purpose was to, “promote the union and harmony and best interests of all the foreigners resident in California...”
During this period he began a search for his son, Charles, which proved to be fruitless. In 1851, the Reverend William W. Smith introduced Marsh to Abigail "Abby" Smith Tuck, a schoolteacher from New England, who also served as principal at a girls school in San Jose. After a brief two-week courtship, they were married. Soon after the wedding, the couple moved into the old adobe. On 12 March 1852, she gave birth to a daughter they named Alice.
John Marsh House
Marsh Creek (California)
Marsh Creek is a stream in Contra Costa County, California in Northern California which flows to the Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta at Oakley, California, in Contra Costa County.-History:...
, with a fine view of the surrounding valley and Mount Diablo, a few miles south of the present city of Brentwood, California
Brentwood, California
Brentwood is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. It is located in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. The population is 51,481 as of 2010....
. Designed by San Francisco architect Thomas Boyd, the Gothic-Revival style home incorporated a sixty-five foot tower and exterior porch supported by octagon pillars. The entire cost of the home did not exceed $20,000. Abby died, however, before the Stone House was completed. Marsh ultimately moved into the new house about three weeks before he was murdered.
His son and daughter inherited the ranch and stone house in which they lived, but who apparently let the property fall into disrepair and decay, and eventually became renters. They were visited in May, 1862 by William Henry Brewer
William Henry Brewer
William Henry Brewer was an American botanist. He worked on the first California Geological Survey and was the first Chair of Agriculture at Yale University's Sheffield Scientific School....
and the California Geological Survey
California Geological Survey
Although it was not until 1880 that the California State Mining Bureau, predecessor to the California Geological Survey, was established, the "roots" of California's state geological survey date to an earlier time...
. The mansion, undergoing stabilization since 2006, still stands as part of Cowell Ranch/John Marsh Property State Historic Park which is preparing to apply for status as a National Historic Monument. The Mansion is on the list of National Historic Places, and funds are being sought for restoration. It is not open to the public.
Death
Marsh was active in California politics. On 24 September 1856, he began a journey from his land in eastern Contra Costa County to San Francisco for a personal or political appointment. On the road between Pacheco and MartinezMartinez, California
Martinez is a city and the county seat of Contra Costa County, California, United States. The population was 35,824 at the 2010 census. The downtown is notable for its large number of preserved old buildings...
, he was ambushed and murdered by three of his "vaquero" employees over a dispute over their wages. A California Historical Landmark
California Historical Landmark
California Historical Landmarks are buildings, structures, sites, or places in the state of California that have been determined to have statewide historical significance by meeting at least one of the criteria listed below:...
(#722) plaque still marks the site of the murder.
Legacy
According to local tradition, shortly before his death, a young man approached his door seeking shelter from a harsh storm. It was his son Charles, who had journeyed to California in search of his father. They enjoyed a happy, although short-lived reunion. Charles tracked down his father’s murderer, Felipe Moreno, and brought him to justice.Alice Marsh was entrusted to the care of Mrs. Thompson at Marsh’s Landing, not far from present day Antioch, California
Antioch, California
Antioch is a city in Contra Costa County, California. Located in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area along the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta, it is a suburb of San Francisco and Oakland. The city's population was 102,372 at the U.S...
. Alice Marsh married John Camron, one of the builders of Mt. Diablo toll road.
An elementary school in Antioch, California
Antioch, California
Antioch is a city in Contra Costa County, California. Located in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area along the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta, it is a suburb of San Francisco and Oakland. The city's population was 102,372 at the U.S...
bears Marsh's name.
The California State Route 4 bypass around the cities of Oakley, California
Oakley, California
Oakley is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. The population was 35,432 at the 2010 U.S. Census. Oakley is part of the East Contra Costa Bicycle Plan, which has existing facilities in Oakley as well as plans for further expansion....
and Brentwood, California
Brentwood, California
Brentwood is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. It is located in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. The population is 51,481 as of 2010....
has been named John Marsh Heritage Highway in honor of Dr. Marsh.