Individual 65: Edmond (Edward/Edwin) Samuels

Individual Record 65

Name} Samuels, Edmond (or Edward or Edwin)*

Family History} Hancock

Title}

Race} White

Sex} Male

Birth: Date} Fam 1823

Place} , St. Clair, Alabama

Marr.: Date} Fam 12 Dec 1844

Place} , Marshall, Alabama (Link)

Death: Date} Fam May 1872

Place} Gordon Valley, Napa, California

Burial: Date} Fam May 1872

Place} Rockville Cemetery, Rockville, Solano, California

Grave Marker} No

Source 1}	1736=Marriage rec
Source 2}	1139=1850 USA cen
Source 3}	63 = 1860 USA cen
Source 4}	1737=Voter record
Source 5}	44 = 1870 USA cen
Source 6}	598 = Cemetery rec
Source 7}	1738=Probate rec
Source 8}	13 = Family history
Source 9}	85 = Family history
Source 10}	137 = Biography
Source 11}	585 = Interview
Source 12}	589 = Family history
Source 13}	1133=Family history
Source 14}	1140=Family history

Parents: } Elisha Samuels & Elizabeth White
Relationship No.} 503

1st Household No.}

Occupation 1} Farmer
Occupation 2} Teamster

Religion/Church}

Spouses: First} Gregory, Mary Myrtle
Total Number of} 1

Notes: *Given name conflict: Edmond, Edward or Edwin, his first name was reported differently in various sources and in the three census records. Edmond is the one accepted as most accurate.

Edmond Samuels was born in St. Clair County, Alabama, in 1823. He was the first of eleven children of Elisha Samuels and Elizabeth White. The family moved to Benton County, Alabama, in the mid-1830s. In the 1840 U.S. census, his father Elisha Samuels was enumerated in Benton County with eleven family members total.

On 11 Dec 1844, Edmond Samuels and Mary Gregory applied for a marriage license in Marshall County, Alabama. According to family history, they were married 12 December 1844. Their first child was born in 1846 and second in 1848.
Family lore states that Edmond liked to drink. After coming home from a bar one night in Alabama, he told his young wife Mary that he had stabbed a man. He immediately packed up his family and fled west. Edmond moved his family in 1847 to Tishomingo County in the northeast corner of Mississippi. Like his father, Edmond purchased farming land which had been recently ceded by the Indians. Two daughters were born in Mississippi — in 1848 and 1850. In the 1850 U.S. census, Edmond, 26, and Mary, 26, were living in the Southern Division, Tishomingo, Mississippi. Edmond was a farmer. Their children were Cornelius, 6, and Jane, 4. Enumerated in the household was John Green, 22. Their third child was born after the census in 1850.

In the early spring of 1852, probably because of the California gold rush, Edmond and Mary sold their land, animals, and furnishings, and began their great trek to California. As told by Darrel Nathaniel Samuels, Edmond and his family travelled to St. Joseph, Missouri, by river steamer. There they purchased a covered wagon, a team of oxen, and provisions. They joined a wagon train where leaders were elected and rules and regulations were adopted. The train members had to endure incredible hardships, the first of which was river crossings. Many animals and wagons were lost and some people were drowned. At some ferries the rates were exorbinant. In addition to the oxen, some train members had animals that had to be fed, including mules, horses, beef and dairy cattle, and sheep. Cholera was common and the trail was lined with victims' graves. Indians harassed many of the wagon trains.

The trail led up the Platte River to Fort Laramie, detouring to Salt Lake City to let the wagon trains obtain fresh animals and provisions. After following the Humboldt River in Nevada, the trail went through the dreaded Humboldt Sink, a fifty mile stretch of barren desert. There water was critical necessity. Many animals perished and the heat was oppressive, making travel by night essential. Next they climbed over the Sierra Nevadas by the new Carson River Pass — since the Donner Pass was regarded with dread. Fortunately, Edmond and his family survived this ordeal and were California pioneers.

Edmond settled his family on 160 acres in the Gordon Valley — which is 10 miles east of the city of Napa and at a southeastern corner of Napa County. In the early days of California, wheat was the primary crop. Edmond soon became a teamster, hauling the wheat to the shipping port in Napa to be subsequently barged to San Francisco. He had six mules, 15 horses, and several wagons for hauling wheat and for work on the farm.

Having grown up in northeastern Alabama when it teemed with game, Edmond was an experienced hunter. In the mountains north of Gordon Valley he found deer, bear, and small game to be plentiful. He later told his children of his many thrilling episodes of the hunt and chase. There were also similarities of the life styles in the Gordon Valley and in Alabama. The family was almost self-sufficient with their gardens, fruit trees, and a smokehouse. They had up to 36 hogs and always had a good supply of bacon. One story is that a grizzly bear came one night and carried off a pig. Eight more children were born to Edmond and Mary in Napa County. In the 1860 U.S. Census, 'Edward', 37, and Mary, 30, were living in the Yount Township, Napa, California. Their post office was located at Sebastopol — the name, until May 1867, of the place now known as Yountville, California. Edmond was a farmer. Their children were Elisha C., 13, Jane, 12, Melinda A., 8, Mary A., 6, Nathaniel, 5, Jasper, 3, and Wm. H., 6 months.

According to theCalifornia's Great Register of Voters, Edmond Samuels registered to vote 4 Aug 1866 in Suisun, Solano County. He was listed as a farmer. The registration was transferred 20 Aug 1871 to Napa County.

In the 1870 Census, 'Edwin', 45, and Mary, 41, were now officially living in the Napa Township, Napa. Their post office was located in the city of Napa. Edmond was still a farmer, with a personal estate of $500. Their children were Elisha C., 24, Mary, 18, Nathaniel, 14, Jasper, 12, Henry, 10, George, 9, Martha B., 8, and Florence, 2. Their last child was born in 1871. Edmond always dreamed of making a gold strike. Thus he carried his pick and prospected whenever he hunted in the mountains. In May of 1872 he was in the area of Wragg Canyon in the Blue Ridge Mountains exploring for gold — when he found it in a big canyon on the east side of Blue Ridge and the east side of Miller Canyon. He left his pick and axe to mark the site, and loaded the two deer that he had killed onto his mule. He was leading the mule down a steep trail when it stumbled on the loose footing and fell on Edmond, seriously injuring him. Edmond managed to make his way home where he survived for only a few days; he was 48 or 49 years old when he passed on. The ore samples that he had brought back were subsequently assayed and found to be rich in gold. Edmond's sons and other people later searched for the site of the gold discovery, but it was never found. According to family sources, Edmond was buried in the northwest corner of the nearby Rockville Cemetery, Rockville, Napa. A wooden headstone marked his grave, but it was destroyed by the fire that went through the cemetery around 1900.

Time of Birth}

Time of Death}

Fraternal/Social}

Baptism Date}

Place}

Confirm. Date}

Photo} None

Immigr'n Date} N/A

Port} N/A

Education: Grade} or Top 2 Degrees}

Military: Service} for the State of}

Health Condition}
Cause of Death} Mule accident

Last Updated
by} Karen Hancock

Date Updated} 15 Jan 2024
Date Created} 8 Oct 1994

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