The History of an American Family

The Eigner Family Reunion 2012

California in the Early Dayscirca 1940’s -1950’s

• 1848 -

– James Marshall discovered gold at Sutter's sawmill in Coloma in January 1848, along the south fork of the American River, thus kicking off the famous Gold Rush of 1849 from whence the term "49ers" was coined.

– California became a U.S. holding with the Treaty of Guadalupe, which ended the Mexican War.

• 1850 - California was admitted into the Union as the 31st state on September 9, 1850.

African-American Populations in California

1850 Census - 964 Free and Enslaved

African-Americans

1860 Census - 3721 Free and Enslaved

African-Americans

------------------------------------------------------------------

1852 State Census 56 Free and Enslaved

Santa Clara Co. African-Americans

Sarah Grey Wilkinson ---------- Theodore Johnson (Thompson) Katherine Johnson (Taylor) Benjamin ---------- Mary Longrus Dorsey Unknown -- -- George Eigner

David -- Hazel Mary (Mollie) Fann Bertram Eigner ---------- Sarah Ann (Sadie)Sinclair Longrus

Ralph David Sinclair Anita Eigner

Lucille Eigner Raymond Sinclair Helen Eigner Elaine Eigner Alberta Eigner Mildred Eigner Melvin Eigner

Melba Eigner Hester Eigner Emily Eigner

Beatrice Eigner

Sarah Grey Wilkerson --^-- Clayman Wilkersonb. January 2, 1824 b. 1823 Kentucky Missouri

d. February 8, 1921 d. Circa 1852-1853 Pacific Grove, CA San Jose, CA

Children:

George Wilkerson b. 1844 Missouri d. 1862-1880 California

John Wilkerson b. 1847 Missouri d. 1852-1860 California

Clark Wilkerson b. 1848 Missouri d. 1873 - 1900 California

Child:

Katherine Johnson b. August 8, 1854 San Jose, CA

d. September 8, 1942 Stockton, CA

Sarah Grey Wilkerson --^-- Theodore Johnsonb. January 2, 1824 b. 1825-1830 Kentucky New York

d. February 8, 1921 d. December 18, 1868 Pacific Grove, CA San Jose, CA

Sarah Grey Wilkerson

• Sarah was born a slave in Kentucky in 1824.

• She came to California with her owner, Dr. Achilles Wilkerson in 1849.

• Historians have identified her as the first African-American woman to be in the Santa Clara Valley.

• When she came to California, Sarah came with three small children including one under 1 year.

• Sarah purchased the freedom for herself and family from her slave owners for $3,000.00 by working nights doing laundry for miners in Downieville.

• Although California entered the U.S. as a free state, a confusing mix of fugitive slave laws and court rulings made the status of “former” slaves unclear.

• Shrewdly, Sarah was able to negiotiate a deal with her “owner” at the height of the gold rush to allow her to pocket outright money she earned outside the work “day”.

Timeline for Sarah Grey Wilkerson

• 1849 – mid-1850’s San Jose

• Mid-1850’s – 1867 Downieville

• 1867 – early 1890’s Grass Valley

• Early 1890’s – 1921 Pacific Grove

1870’s Grass Valley

Main Street

By 1870, Sarah had moved to Grass Valley California and remarried John Thompson, to whom she would remain married to until his death in 1910.

In 1870, Kathrine Johnson was 16 and still living with her mother in Grass Valley.

The family lived within a couple of house of the Grass Valley Methodist Chruch on Church Street.

1870’s Grass Valley, CA

Church Street – Sarah and John Thompson lived on this street for 15 years.

By 1896, Sarah and John Thompson had purchased a house in Pacific Grove, California. The house is located four house from the cliffs.

The Thompsons’ would spend the rest of their lives in Pacific Groved and supplemented their income renting out rooms to eldery women.

Sarah died February 8, 1921 at the age of 97.

She left her home and property to Bertram Eigner and Hazel Sinclair. Unfortunately, the home was sold for taxes in 1926 for $220.

Benjamin Longrus

• Born:

December 4, 1849

Hannibal, Missouri

• Died:

March 5, 1932

Woodland, Ca

Benjamin Longrus • Born a slave and first sold for $500 at the age of 5.

“I did not know I was sold until the new master came and got me.”

• In 1863, Benjamin ran away from his owner and try and join the Federal Army.

Unfortunately, Benjamin Longrus was to young and the army would not issue him a gun.

“But I couldn’t see going to war without a gun in my hand. With a gun … you have a even break when it comes to fight.”

After the Civil War, Benjamin got a job on a Mississippi Boat. In 1868, he went east to New York.

Aided by some money sent to him by his mother, who had moved to Woodland, he bought a ticket on a steamer coming to California.

Benjamin landed in Yolo County on Christmas Day of 1868, and his first meal in California was Christmas dinner.

Benjamin married Mary Elizabeth Dorsey and lived in Yolo County. They had 9 children.

1900 Census

1900 California Census

-------

Benjamin Longrus Family

Benjamin Longrus with grandchildren (Circa 1920’s)

Katherine Johnson Taylor

August 8, 1854

San Jose, California

September 8, 1942

Stockton, California

Impromptu Birth – Suisun City

Katherine Johnson had five children; three who lived to adulthood:

William T. Mattox Hazel Mary Lenore Fann Bertram Vivian Eigner

Katherine Johnson married Charles Taylor in 1898 in San Francisco. The remained married until his death in 1911.

Hazel Mary Lenore Fann Born: March 16, 1877 Suisun, California

Bertram Vivian Eigner Born: January 31, 1885 Suisun, California

Hazel was raised in the home of Adam Willis and

Mary Fann in Suisun City / Fairfield.

Hazel first married at the age of 16 to

David Armstead Sinclair of Napa.

After marriage they first lived in Chico, California.

Sinclair

Hazel and David Sinclair had two children:

Raymond Sinclair Born in 1894

Ralph Sinclair Born in 1896

Ralph Sinclair had three children:

Earl Sinclair, Kenneth Sinclair and Harold Sinclair

Hazel marries

Eric Ross

Dec. 4, 1922

in Sacramento

She was 45 and he was 21 years old.

Eigner Sisters