The Life of Sheriff Sibley

Sheriff Walter F. Sibley

During my research on the story of Stockton's infamous murder of Albert McVicar committed by the black widow of Amador County, Mrs. Emma LeDoux, I learned of Sheriff Sibley. He was the one in charge of bringing Emma LeDoux as well as many other criminals and fugitives to justice in his long career. After looking into his life in further detail, I decided that his story would be a great addition to my new blog on Stockton history.

Walter Frank Sibley was born in Eddington, Maine, in 1858. His parents were Julia and Frank Sibley, who were native to the area, having descended directly from passengers who arrived on the Mayflower. After growing up and attending school, he decided to head west at the age of twenty.

It was said that with only five dollars to his name, he boarded a train headed out west to start a new life. He first began working on a farm owned by John Lyman Beecher, where he literally fell in love with the farmer's daughter, Clara Beecher. While working for Beecher, he saved every penny he could to attend Stockton Business College. Soon he married the love of his life, Clara Beecher on September 23, 1881. Wanting land of his own, and a business of his own, he leased land and began farming on it, becoming quite the successful businessman. With the profits, he turned and bought land of his own to farm barley and wheat crops.

During his life in Stockton, Sheriff Sibley owned around 1000 acres of land in the area, including part of the Mormon Slough. He was a staunch Republican, and considered a man faithful in his work. He was a member of the Morning Star Lodge No. 68, Free and Accepted Masons, the Knights of Pythias, the Knights Templar, the Elks, Oddfellows, Woodmen of the World and Red Men fraternal orders. He was known to be a very generous contributor to various charities, and often used much of his salary as Sheriff to do so.

In the 1898 election for Sheriff, Sibley was voted into office. On the day he took office, January 1, 1899, his predecessor, Sheriff Cunningham offered him some words of wisdom when handing over his pistol and handcuffs:

"I have never had any use for it. It is only to be used when your life is in danger or when you are positive that a prisoner who has committed a felony is trying to escape." 

"These are not for exhibition, but for use when you arrest a man whom you have reason to believe will attempt to escape, it is your duty to put them on him. Otherwise you hold out an inducement for that man to kill you and thus commit another crime in endeavoring to escape."-- Stockton Evening Mail (1/3/1899)

Sheriff Sibley faithfully served three full terms as Sheriff, first elected in 1898, and was beginning his fourth term when he became ill.  On June 4, 1911 while in Berkeley, Walter F. Sibley succumbed to illness caused by Bright's Disease (a fatal form form of kidney disease and nephritis). He had been ill for nearly 6 months before he died.  His estate which totaled about $45,000 was left to his wife. Most of the fortune was tied up in land and their home which was located at 144 E. Willow, in Stockton (corner of Willow and Hunter streets).

"The funeral for the late Sheriff Walter Sibley, will be held Wednesday morning at 10 o'clock from the First Congregational Church and will be under the auspices of Morning Star Lodge No. 68, Free and Accepted Masons. The remains will be shipped from Berkeley tomorrow afternoon. The members of  The Stockton's Merchant Association will close their stores from 10 to 11 o'clock."- San Francisco Call, (6/6/1911)

He was buried at Stockton Rural Cemetery, in Block 24. His wife Clara, died on September 21, 1949 and was buried in the family plot. Their two daughters, Gladys and Hazel are also buried at Stockton Rural Cemetery.

(Copyright 2014- J'aime Rubio)

Originally published May 21, 2014

Some sources:
FamilySearch.com
"History of The New California"-Leigh H. Irvine, 1905.
Stockton Polk-Husted Directory 1909-1910
Stockton Evening Mail (1/3/1899)
Lodi Sentinel (6/6/1911)
SF Call (6/10/1911)
SF Call (12/23/1910)
SF Call (6/5/1911)
SF Call (6/6/1911)

What Really Happened To Dr. Harry Cross?

One tranquil afternoon, during a casual stroll through Stockton Rural Cemetery, I came upon the Cross family plot. Located in a section near "Millionaire's Row," sits the grave of Dr. Harry Cross. Why his grave stood out to me is unknown, but I felt compelled to find out who he was. The more I dug, the more interesting it turned out to be, finding out just who he was and how he met his death in 1922.

Harry Cross was born to parents, Lester Emmett Cross and Imogen Lyon on May 8, 1867 in Michigan. At some point before 1880, the Cross family moved to Stockton to set up residence, while Lester set up his medical practice. Dr. Lester E. Cross' nickname was "Dr. Stork" due to the large amount of births that he delivered during his prominent career as a physician in Stockton.

His son, Harry followed in his father's footsteps, eventually graduating from Cooper Medical College, class of 1889-90.  Being raised in a family of physicians, no doubt there was a level of pressure that Dr. Cross must have felt. According to records, he seems to have done quite well for himself even at a very young age. He eventually married a young lady by the name of Sophia, and purchased a lovely home at 330. W. Magnolia in Stockton (on the corner of Magnolia/Van Buren).  His office was located at 42 N. Sutter Street, Suite 313, inside the Elks Building.

Dr. Harry Cross' Home, 330 W. Magnolia

Elks Building, 42 N. Sutter Street, Stockton

Patent # US1349751 A

Unfortunately, an unforeseen medical emergency took place when Harry was 42 years old. According to the December 2, 1909 edition of the San Francisco Call, states:

"PHYSICIAN UNDERGOES SERIOUS OPERATION, [Special Dispatch to The Call] STOCKTON, Dec. 1.—Dr. Harry Cross, one of the most prominent of local physicians, yesterday underwent a serious operation for appendicitis and hernia. He was operated upon at St. Joseph's home by Dr. Ellis Harbert, Dr. Fred Clark, Dr. S. N. Cross and Dr. L. E. Cross. The patient is doing well."--  Thankfully Dr. Cross recovered from his appendicitis and hernia surgery and eventually went back to work.  

During Dr. Cross' life he seemed to have been quite the genius. In fact, there's a record of him dabbling in inventions besides being a physician. The U.S. Patent Office holds the records of one of Harry's inventions. a Dust-Fuel Carburetor, that was filed on February 12, 1919 and patented on August 17, 1920. 

Interestingly, newspaper accounts mention that he had also opened a tuberculosis hospital in French Camp, that I have not been able to locate as of yet. However, the account also mentions that he had invented some type of elixir that was actually improving patients health who had been suffering from tuberculosis, and that he had gained some success with it. Unfortunately, for reasons unsaid in the article, the hospital had closed just prior to Dr. Cross' death.

Mysterious Death 

According to the Bakersfield Californian, Dr. Harry Cross was traveling with one of his patients to Los Angeles for further medical treatment, but stopped for the night along the old Ridge Route at the Sandberg Summit Hotel.  Lee Smythe, Dr. Cross' patient, revealed to the authorities that he woke up in the morning after sleeping at the resort, only to find Dr. Cross' lifeless body with a gunshot wound to the head and a pistol nearby. The two were sharing the same room. According to Smythe's statement, the two were on their way to Glendale to seek further medical treatment for a "condition" Smythe had been suffering from, which Dr. Cross had been treating him.  

As I read the article more I noticed something that did not sit well with me. Instead of raising the question of why Smythe did not hear the gunshot, since he had been sharing the same room, but instead the newspaper insinuated that Dr. Cross committed suicide, left a bad taste in my mouth. Why were the authorities so quick to rule this a suicide? 

from www.ridgeroute.com

Another oddity was that they mention an "alleged" nervous breakdown that Dr. Cross had suffered from, which supposedly took place years earlier. It even claimed that he stayed at a Sanitarium for a brief time.  I could not locate any records that would verify this allegation, nor could I disprove it. 

It went on to say that after his nervous breakdown, that he went back to practicing medicine again.  I am not sure if that was common to allow a doctor to go back to practicing medicine after a nervous breakdown, but again, I could not find any proof of this, not even in the Stockton newspapers.

I started thinking about the fact that Dr. Cross had come up with a treatment for tuberculosis, that allegedly worked. He was starting to get noticed for this, and then suddenly his hospital is closed down? Was this somehow connected with his death? 

Why was he traveling to Glendale with a patient? Was he there to prove to other colleagues that Lee Smythe was one of those patients he successfully treated? Was he there to look into further medicinal treatments? We may never know.

Lee Smythe was a resident of Merced, I looked into his background and didn't find much. He was a day laborer and a cook at different times in his life. He was born, Leander "Lee" Vincent Smythe on February 11, 1876.  His sister was Belle Gribl, the Superintendent of the Merced County School District during the 1920s. Lee was married to Lotta Viola Goldman in May of 1901. By 1918, he was a cook on a dredger, W.W. Hutchinson out of Antioch, Ca. His address was the Santa Fe Hotel in Antioch, based on  his WWI registration card.

So, was Lee a suspect? I think so. I find it quite odd that he did not hear the gunshot that killed Dr. Cross, especially since they were sharing the same room. I find it even stranger that the record of Dr. Cross' death discreetly disappeared out of any further local papers in that area. It is as if his death was swept under the rug, and he was quickly buried and forgotten. I had contacted several historians who were well acquainted with the history of the Sandberg Hotel's history, and even they had never heard of this strange death that took place there. That intrigues me even more.

The question as to why Dr. Cross died will remain as much a mystery to us as how he died. Did Dr. Cross travel all the way to Los Angeles County only to shoot himself in the head? Was he really as "nervous" as the newspaper account tried to paint him?  Why didn't Lee Smythe hear the gunshot? Had Cross really committed suicide in the same room or was he murdered? What really happened in that hotel room along the old Ridge Route?

The answers to those questions unfortunately went with Dr. Cross to the grave, leaving us only to speculate and imagine to this day. Now the only reminder of his existence is that small, concrete headstone tucked back in the heart of Stockton Rural Cemetery. A permanent resting place for a man we will never fully know.

Rest In Peace, Dr. Harry Cross.

(Copyright 2015- J'aime Rubio, Historian)

Originally posted January 5, 2015
Thank you- Roland J. D. Boulware, Harrison Irving Scott, Margie Campbell, Bonnie Kane and Peter Mack. 

Sources:

FamilySearch.com
Census, birth and marriage records
Polk-Husted Directory, Stockton City 
and San Joaquin County Directory, 1920
San Francisco Call, (12/2/1909)
Bakersfield Californian (8/18/1922)
Stockton Rural Cemetery

Photos: photos of headstone and home, copyright J. Rubio
Sandberg Summit Hotel (c/o Harrison Irving Scott, Author, 
www.ridgeroute.com)
all other photos are in public domain 

Reuel Gridley and His Sack of Flour

If you have ever been to the Stockton Rural Cemetery, located in Stockton, California, then you would know that there are many beautiful headstones, crypts and monuments there. One of the monuments that caught my eye there was the statue of a man that appears to be looking after the section of military graves in the cemetery. I take my walks at this cemetery sometimes, as well as taking photographs for my research there, and I decided to research and write about this hero the monument was erected in memory of,  Reuel Colt Gridley.

Just who was Reuel Colt Gridley? He was dubbed one of the greatest unarmed heroes of the war, at that time. Why do you suppose that was? This was because of his great work with one sack of flour, that helped save the lives of many injured soldiers. For you to understand the entire history of this man, we must go back to the beginning of his story.

Reuel (sometimes misspelled Ruel), was born on January 23, 1829 in Hannibal, Missouri, to Amos Gridley and Sarah Thompson. His father was a 4th generation American, his 5th great grandfather having come from England to Connecticut in 1630. On his grandmother's side of the family, was the famous Colt's of Connecticut who invented the Colt firearm. While growing up in Hannibal, he was schoolmates with another famous person, Samuel Clemens (who later used the name, Mark Twain). His history with Clemens proved to be helpful later in life as you will read shortly.

widely circulated album card
by photographer G. Johnson, S.F.

During the Mexican-American War (1846-48), Gridley enlisted and served in the Army. By 1850, he met and married Susan Snyder in Louisiana. By 1852, he decided to take his chances and travel to California via the Isthmus of Panama, arriving in San Francisco by boat.

From working at a newspaper, to banking and later running a courier service in Butte County, he did almost everything. The 1860 Census shows that he and his wife and two children were living in the Kinshaw Township, Butte County, which is near Paradise, California. Sometime between 1860 and 1864, he moved to Austin, Nevada while the silver mines were booming. Soon after, Gridley built a stone building and opened a store. He also became a partner in the firm, "Gridley, Hobart & Jacobs."

It was during a local election for Mayor, that he and Dr. Herrick made a friendly wager over the results of the election. If Gridley won the election, Herrick would have to carry a fifty-pound sack of flour the distance of about one and one-quarter mile from one end of Austin to the other end with a marching band playing "Dixie" behind him. However, if Herrick won the election, Gridley would have to carry the sack of flour the same route, with the marching band playing, "John Brown's Body." As it turned out, Herrick won the election, and Gridley had no problem fulfilling the agreed terms of the bet, even decorating his sack of flour with ribbons of red, white and blue for the occasion.

After parading through town and presenting the sack of flour to Herrick, the new mayor didn't have any use for it. This raised the question on what to do with the sack of flour. Gridley decided to auction it off and send the proceeds to the Sanitary Commission, a new organization that was set up to care for wounded soldiers and to protect the bodies of dead soldiers on the battlefield during the War of the Rebellion. The first winning bid is questionable, as many sources claim that Gridley himself paid $300, however the book "Roughing It" by Gridley's old school playmate, Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) claimed that it was a mill man who bought the bag of flour for $250 and when asked where to have it delivered he stated "Nowhere, sell it again!"

This began the trend of auctioning the sack of flour over and over in order to raise funds for the Sanitary Commission. By the night's end, they had raised nearly $8,000.  Word spread to nearby Gold Hill and Virginia City, where Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) was living and working at the time. The city invited Gridley to come to have an auction there, but before having time to spread the news throughout the citizens of Virginia City, Gridley had already arrived. The turnout at the Opera House, only raised about a couple thousand dollars the first time around, which I am sure was a disappointment.

The next day though, Virginia City had a parade of carriages run down C Street with all of the city's finest including the mayor, recorder, reporters, members of the Common Council and Gridley. The citizens were in awe as the cavalcade of carriages came sweeping through town, but they were surprised when the group kept going onto Gold Hill where the auction was a success. Later on the parade swept back through town in the evening, creating a stir of excited citizens with "torches glaring, flags flying and bands playing."

According to Clemens, that night, within two hours they had raised nearly $40,000 for the Sanitary Commission. On Clemens own accord, he claimed it was the finest day Virginia City had ever seen.

From there on, Gridley continued onward to Carson City, San Francisco and then touring across the country ending up in St. Louis for the Sanitary Commission Fair where the sack of flour met it's end, being used to bake cakes and sold with all proceeds going towards the organization.  In the end, approximately $250,000- 275,000 was raised for the Sanitary Commission in helping aid the wounded and sick soldiers as well as the bodies of the dead soldiers.

Although Gridley had become a hero nationwide, he came back to Austin in ill health and depleted of personal funds, with his store nearly going bankrupt. Since the silver mines were drying out, there was no money to be made there, so he eventually moved back to California penniless. In 1866, Gridley and his family moved towards Stockton (some sources claim this was to be near his sister). Once arriving on the outskirts of town, the family camped out of their wagon and Gridley would go into town to get supplies. With his health getting worse and worse, traveling from camp into town daily became harder and harder for him. The family eventually took up house in one of the empty "pest houses".

One of the local residents recognized Gridley and helped the family acquire modest living accommodations, despite his adamant refusal and resentment to accept charity. With the town backing him, he was finally able to get the medical attention he needed and a job to support his family again.  It seemed that Stockton gave Gridley the hand up (not a hand out) to get him back on his feet again. With the help from Henry Sargent who owned the market on Hunter Street, Gridley became a partner in the business and flourished as a businessman once again.  Not only did Gridley become well known and respected within the community of Stockton, he was an upstanding Christian member of the Methodist Church, and also a member of the Masonic Order (Morning Star Lodge) in Stockton as well as the Commandery of the Knights Templar's of Stockton.

By 1868, Gridley and his family (which consisted of his wife Susan and four children), moved to Paradise City (west of Modesto) along the Tuolumne River, working as Postmaster. Sadly, his health affected him drastically and he died only two years later, on November 24, 1870, at the young age of 41. It seemed that he never forgot the kindness Stockton showed him in his time of need, and at his request he was buried at the Stockton Rural Cemetery, the place he wanted to rest for eternity.

Reuel Gridley accomplished so much in his short life, and proved himself a hero who gave his own time, money, and literal health to help those less fortunate as he. Although he came out of it at one point penniless, he was still rich with his Christian values and the respect of his fellow citizens that when he was in a state of poverty, they were more than willing and eager to help this wonderful man.

Reuel Gridley was originally buried with a plain wooden marker in the Stockton Rural Cemetery. However, the Rawlins Post No. 23 of the Grand Army of the Republic and Stockton citizens raised funds to erect a monument for Gridley, and have his remains exhumed and reburied at the base of the monument. 

Some sources claim that small bags of flour were sold to raise funds for this monument, while other sources claim that the small booklet titled “A Tribute To The Memory of Reuel Colt Gridley” was sold for 25 cents each, to raise funds. Whatever the case, the funds were raised and the monument was successfully erected in honor of this hero.

“To the poor, he was generous, and the needy never left his presence empty handed. He was in fact too whole-souled and too kind hearted to accumulate wealth, but he grew rich in kindly deeds and Christian grace.”--(excerpt from booklet).

The September 10, 1887 issue of the Los Angeles Herald states:

"A MASSIVE MEMORIAL"- An Imposing Statue of Ruel C. Gridley Uncovered Yesterday.

STOCKTON, September 9.--- 

A Grand Army monument to Ruel C. Gridley, who raised $275,000 for the Sanitary Commission during the Civil War by selling his famous sack of flour, was unveiled here this afternoon. A procession formed, and marched through the streets, after which the various organizations represented in the parade proceeded to the cemetery.

At 2 o'clock the ceremonies began with prayers by the Chaplain, Rev. A.C. Bone, followed by an oration by Judge Swinnerton and the reading of the receipts and expenditures of the monument fund by Stanton L. Carter. At the conclusion of the ceremonies the statue was unveiled, disclosing the handsome marble to the hundreds assembled.

The statue was cut in Italy. The figure is five feet ten inches high, and was patterned from a photograph of Gridley. The statue rests on a base and pedestal combined, the height of which is thirteen feet and two inches thus making the entire monument twenty feet high. It cost $1,775."-- 

 Lastly the August 25, 1871 issues of the Peninsula Courier featured a very lengthy tribute to Gridley, ending their article with the statement below:

"He leaves the wife of his youth and four children: Amos Brice, Clara L, Mary and Josephine, a number of relatives, troops of friends, and a great nation to mourn his loss; in fact, humanity, the world over, deplores the loss of such men. His children should be adopted as the wards of the nation. May they live long to honor the name of their noble father, and to imitate his worthy example in doing good. The nation will listen to the grand history of that sack of flour with gratitude and gladness. His death will only be remembered in sorrow."--


In ending, Reuel Gridley was someone worth remembering in History. Not just Stockton History, not just California History, but U.S. History. His works did so much good for so many, that it is a very sad thing that he is not remembered the way he ought to be. You will not read about his story in school textbooks, nor will you find much about him in local museums around the State. Sadly, our history is being erased and forgotten and that is why I am doing the work I do, because I believe everyone deserves to be remembered, especially Mr. Gridley.


His grave, (which has his first name misspelled), sits overlooking the many soldiers graves at Stockton Rural Cemetery, now a historical landmark. His wife, Susan died in 1910 and was later buried near him in the same area of the cemetery.

Let us always remember the man, the hero, Reuel Gridley,  "The Soldier's Friend."

(Copyright, 2014) - J'aime Rubio, Dreaming Casually Publications

Originally published March 31, 2014

Photos of grave and cemetery, property of J'aime Rubio
All other photos are in public domain

Lottie Grunsky- The Name Behind The School

If you type the name Lottie Grunsky into Google, more than likely you will find page after page relating to the elementary school in Stockton. What people rarely find, unless they are searching hard enough, is any information in regards to just who Lottie Grunsky was.

Lottie Fredericka Grunsky was born on March 13, 1853 to Charles Grunsky and Josephine Fredericke Clotilde Camerer, German immigrants who came to Stockton in 1849. Lottie was one of four children. She had two brothers, Carl Ewald, Otto and and a half sister-Anna.  Sadly, Lottie's mother died on January 7, 1864, when Lottie was only 11 years old.  It seems shortly thereafter Charles married a second time, to a woman named Fredericke Charlotte Louise Camerer, but she died as well in 1874, by the time Lottie was now 21 years old.

In 1870, Lottie, her younger brother Carl Ewald and a young lady by the name of Alice Mills were the very first graduating class of the new Stockton High School. Apparently education was something that Lottie had a passion for, so she became a teacher.  She spent over 50 years teaching, most of which was spent in San Joaquin County, although she did spend two years teaching at a Business College in Los Angeles.  Despite the fact that she taught various ages of children, she always felt that the younger grades were more suited to her. She never married, but instead dedicated her life to teaching others, and it seems as if she enjoyed every moment of it.

In 1919, a new school opened on Harding Way. At first the school was going to be named Northeast Primary School, however the name was changed to honor Ms. Grunsky, changing it to the Lottie Grunsky Grammar School. Sadly, that building was later demolished in 1977.

On November 26, 1920 around 5:30 pm, Lottie was on a train in Texas en route to Mexico City for the holidays when she succumbed to aortic stenosis and died. The death certificate claimed that her death was instantaneous and that no medical treatment was sought. Her body was brought back to Stockton and buried at the historic Stockton Rural Cemetery in her family plot tucked away from sight.

Until today Lottie didn't even have a listing on Findagrave. I have to say that I was very disappointed that no one, in all this time has ever posted an article online or taken the time to post her memorial on Findagrave until I did so today. Yes, older historic books mention her, but what about today? Has her lifelong dedication to the education of Stockton's children become something not worth remembering?  With Lottie being such a famous name within Stockton's history, I was just shocked that she seemed to have been forgotten and I wasn't about to have that!

So here I am today posting this blog in her honor. I have also created her Findagrave memorial so that others can visit her virtual grave, and know where her actual grave is located at in the cemetery as well. Let us never forget the history that Lottie Grunsky helped make, and the young minds that she taught, inspired and encouraged.

Let us never forget Ms. Lottie Grunsky!   VISIT HER FINDAGRAVE MEMORIAL HERE!! 

(Copyright 2015- J'aime Rubio)

 Photos of grave are property of J'aime Rubio


Oakland Tribune, November 27, 1920
Stockton History
Grunsky Elementary Website/SUSD
Family Search.Com
US Census Records
Death Records/Death Certificate