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Judge James Witherspoon Bicknell

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Judge James Witherspoon Bicknell

Birth
Warrensburg, Greene County, Tennessee, USA
Death
27 Jun 1889 (aged 75)
Modesto, Stanislaus County, California, USA
Burial
Modesto, Stanislaus County, California, USA Add to Map
Plot
Lot 2 Blk 10 Gr 7
Memorial ID
View Source
#43900458:
Son of Samuel Temple Bicknell Sr. and Margaret "Peggy" Fain.
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#43900458:
On April 16, 1849, a company of men from Monroe County, Tennessee, left Knoxville to seek their fortune in the gold fields of California. Among these 49ers were Tyler Davis Heiskell, his cousin, Hugh Brown Heiskell, and his brother-in-law James Witherspoon Bicknell. .

Leaving St. Joseph, the gateway to the plains, on the 23rd of May, they pushed their oxen-drawn carts westwards along the California Trail at a rate of about 16 miles a day. Soon after crossing South Pass, and to save time, they took a shortcut called Sublette Cutoff, the most desolate part of the journey. Their journey across the desert meant water shortages, heat, dust , and the loss of wagons, equipment, supplies and animals. Then, the Monroe County men followed the Carson River Route, to the to Sacramento. En route they met a government relief party, who warned them to press on before the winter snows would block their passage. On October 18th, the travelers began their ascent of the Sierra Nevadas. Just a few days before reaching the highest elevation, a storm dropped three feet of snow, closing the pass for three days. Luckily, a break in the weather allowed them to push through before another, massive, snowstorm closed the pass for the season. On their descent of the western slope they rescued a fellow 49er, John Campbell, whom they found on the trail next to his dead horse. A few days later they were attacked by Indians, and, on October 24th ,arrived in Weaverville, 60 miles east of Sacramento. There, on Weaver Creek, they spent the winter, and began their quest for gold in the spring. The gruelling trip from Knoxville had taken six months and eight days..

Sadly, the rigors of the 1849 overland trek proved too much for Hugh Brown Heiskell. Twice on the westward journey, he had taken seriously ill, requiring the considerable care of his cousin, Tyler. However, soon after the company reached Weaverville, Hugh was stricken again, and, within three weeks, died on Weaver Creek while cutting logs to build winter cabins..

During the first week of April 1850, Tyler Davis Heiskell and a partner made about $280 each from mining near Weaverville. He then headed for summer diggings on the Yuba River, saying that gold prospecting was "a game of chance"..

This came from Ancestry.com
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#43900458:
Judge James W. Bicknell was born in Green County, Tennessee, October 21, 1813. Here he was raised and educated. In the year 1849, he left for California, crosssing the plains with ox teams, and arrived in the same year. He engaged in mining in Amador and El Dorado counties, and subseequently on the sourth fork of the Yuba River. We next find him in Nevada City, where he lived till 1852. He then settled in Placer county, and from there returned to his home in Tennessee, whe remained for six months. He again came to this state [California], settling in San Francisco, where he engaged in business with his brother-in-law, T. D. Heiskell. In the fall of 1853 he sould out and again went to the mines in Amador County. Here, in 1860, he was elected county clerk. In 1864 he came to San Mateo County, and took up his residence with A. Hayward. He was appointed county judge to fill an unexpired term of Harace Templeton, and in 1874 was elected to that office, which he held until the adoption of the new constitution. In the year 1869 he went to Los Angeles, where he was employed in the banking house of A. Hayward & Co. Here he remained three years. He moved to Redwood city in 1874, and has resided there till the present time. He was placed in nomination for county clerk in the fall of 1882, and elected to that office, which he now holds. In the year 1844 he married Elizabeth Heiskell, sister of T. D. Heiskell. She died in 1848..

Source: History of San Mateo County, California. San Francisco, B. F. Alley, 1883..

He died in 1884.
#43900458:
Son of Samuel Temple Bicknell Sr. and Margaret "Peggy" Fain.
==============================
#43900458:
On April 16, 1849, a company of men from Monroe County, Tennessee, left Knoxville to seek their fortune in the gold fields of California. Among these 49ers were Tyler Davis Heiskell, his cousin, Hugh Brown Heiskell, and his brother-in-law James Witherspoon Bicknell. .

Leaving St. Joseph, the gateway to the plains, on the 23rd of May, they pushed their oxen-drawn carts westwards along the California Trail at a rate of about 16 miles a day. Soon after crossing South Pass, and to save time, they took a shortcut called Sublette Cutoff, the most desolate part of the journey. Their journey across the desert meant water shortages, heat, dust , and the loss of wagons, equipment, supplies and animals. Then, the Monroe County men followed the Carson River Route, to the to Sacramento. En route they met a government relief party, who warned them to press on before the winter snows would block their passage. On October 18th, the travelers began their ascent of the Sierra Nevadas. Just a few days before reaching the highest elevation, a storm dropped three feet of snow, closing the pass for three days. Luckily, a break in the weather allowed them to push through before another, massive, snowstorm closed the pass for the season. On their descent of the western slope they rescued a fellow 49er, John Campbell, whom they found on the trail next to his dead horse. A few days later they were attacked by Indians, and, on October 24th ,arrived in Weaverville, 60 miles east of Sacramento. There, on Weaver Creek, they spent the winter, and began their quest for gold in the spring. The gruelling trip from Knoxville had taken six months and eight days..

Sadly, the rigors of the 1849 overland trek proved too much for Hugh Brown Heiskell. Twice on the westward journey, he had taken seriously ill, requiring the considerable care of his cousin, Tyler. However, soon after the company reached Weaverville, Hugh was stricken again, and, within three weeks, died on Weaver Creek while cutting logs to build winter cabins..

During the first week of April 1850, Tyler Davis Heiskell and a partner made about $280 each from mining near Weaverville. He then headed for summer diggings on the Yuba River, saying that gold prospecting was "a game of chance"..

This came from Ancestry.com
==============================
#43900458:
Judge James W. Bicknell was born in Green County, Tennessee, October 21, 1813. Here he was raised and educated. In the year 1849, he left for California, crosssing the plains with ox teams, and arrived in the same year. He engaged in mining in Amador and El Dorado counties, and subseequently on the sourth fork of the Yuba River. We next find him in Nevada City, where he lived till 1852. He then settled in Placer county, and from there returned to his home in Tennessee, whe remained for six months. He again came to this state [California], settling in San Francisco, where he engaged in business with his brother-in-law, T. D. Heiskell. In the fall of 1853 he sould out and again went to the mines in Amador County. Here, in 1860, he was elected county clerk. In 1864 he came to San Mateo County, and took up his residence with A. Hayward. He was appointed county judge to fill an unexpired term of Harace Templeton, and in 1874 was elected to that office, which he held until the adoption of the new constitution. In the year 1869 he went to Los Angeles, where he was employed in the banking house of A. Hayward & Co. Here he remained three years. He moved to Redwood city in 1874, and has resided there till the present time. He was placed in nomination for county clerk in the fall of 1882, and elected to that office, which he now holds. In the year 1844 he married Elizabeth Heiskell, sister of T. D. Heiskell. She died in 1848..

Source: History of San Mateo County, California. San Francisco, B. F. Alley, 1883..

He died in 1884.


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