Isaac Julian HARVEY

28 Dec 1816 - 17 Aug 1899

Father: Absalom HARVEY
Mother: Eleanor JULIAN

Family 1 : Sarah MELLETT

  1. +Absalom Benton HARVEY
  2.  John Mellett HARVEY
  3.  Isaac Julian HARVEY
  4.  Julia Mellett HARVEY
  5.  William Mellett HARVEY
  6. +Sophronia Elizabeth HARVEY
  7. +Eleanor Josephine HARVEY
  8.  Richard Thompson HARVEY
  9.  Sarah Jessie HARVEY
  10. +Mabel HARVEY 
 
                                   __
                   _______________|
                  |               |__
 _Absalom HARVEY _|
|                 |                __
|                 |_______________|
|                                 |__
|
|--Isaac Julian HARVEY 
|
|                                  __
|                  _Isaac JULIAN _|
|                 |               |__
|_Eleanor JULIAN _|
                  |                __
                  |_Sarah LONG ___|
                                  |__

Notes:

Photos from March 2002

I. J. Harvey was a man of many occupations: Indiana farmer, businessman, appointed county judge of Trenton, Missouri in 1840, came to California during the 1849 Gold Rush, travelled back and forth between Missouri and California several times, became the first county judge of Lassen County in 1864, a ranch owner in Plumas County, involved in the 1866 search of the "lost" Black Rock silver mine (built the first house in what was first called Harveyville and then Hardinville), was the first mayor of Salinas, Monterey County in 1874, and was a real estate and insurance agent in Salinas for many years, etc.

Now known as the Harvey-Baker House, the restoration of I. J. Harvey's house is part of an on-going historic renovation near the Steinbeck Center in Salinas City (donations can be made to The First Mayor's House of Salinas City, P. O. Box 432, Salinas, California, 93901).

The subject of a 482 page book, Isaac Julian Harvey: California Pioneer (Monterey County Historical Society, Inc., Salinas, California: 1987), written by his granddaughter, Florence Margaret Baker. She passed away before the work was completed, and it was finished by Jo Ann Sloan Rogers

From pages 34-39:

  CHRONOLOGY OF ISAAC JULIAN HARVEY  
  1816 Born December 28, Prairie Township, Wayne County, Indiana.  
  1820'S Married April 14, Sarah Mellett - Henry County, Indiana  
  1836 Moved to New Castle, Henry County, Indiana.
Farmed two hundred acre farm given to him by his father.
His father endorsed his note for $66 to invest in two-year old steers.
Birth of son, Abaslom Benton Harvey, April 7, Henry County, Indiana		  
  1838 Traded farm for a hotel in New Castle - kept two months - traded for a store.
Traveled to Cincinnati for goods.		  
  1839 Sold out.
February: Went to Missouri by wagon.
Purchased six pre-emptions.
Invested in prairie and timberland.
Made plans for building home for family.
April: Wrote to family from Knavestown about escape of Mormon Prophet, Joseph Smith.
June: Birth of son, John Mellett Harvey (Jackie), Henry County, Indiana while I. J. is in Missouri.
Returned to Indiana by water.		  
  1840 Fall: Sold some land. Took pay in Dry Goods store.
Winter: Appointed county judge of new county at Trenton, Missouri - served two years.
Spring: Moved to Far West, Missouri.
Invested in flat boat business on the Grand River with William Peery for St. Louis trade.		  
  1841 February: Involved in litigation over deal. Won case. Won another case with Peery.
Winter: I. J., Robert Peery and others appointed by County Judge to organize a new county and locate county seat which they did at Trenton, Missouri.
July: Birth of son, Isaac Julian Harvey, Jr. born in Grundy County, Missouri.		  
  1842 January: Death of son, Isaac Julian Harvey, Jr. in Grundy County, Missouri.
Spring: Big flood. Went partners with Jesse Knave in flat boats.
October: Birth of daughter, Julia Mellett Harvey, October 15, Grundy County, Missouri.		  
  1843 Traded store for Old Mormon Sawmill at Far West. Moved family there to sell lumber and mill.
Sarah contracted typhoid fever. All children ill.
Moved back to Grundy County. Sold mill.		  
  1844 Returned to Indiana by spring-wagon and two horses, then by steamboat to Cincinnati and on to New Castle. Terrible flooding of the Mississippi at St. Louis.  
  1845 April: Harvey & Company business in New Castle, staked by William and Miles Murphy.  
  1846 May: Death of daughter, Julia Mellett Harvey, age four, May 26, New Castle.
June: Death of son, John Mellett Harvey, age seven, New Castle, Indiana.
July: Birth of son, William Mellett Harvey, July 17, New Castle, Indiana.		  
  1848 Birth of daughter, Sophronia Elizabeth Harvey, November 21, New Castle, Indiana.  
  1849 Member of New Castle First Presbyterian Church.
Advertised for twelve mechanics to go to California via Oregon.		  
  1850 Member I.O.O.F. (Independant Order of Odd Fellows).
May: Started for California, stopping to visit parents in Grundy County, MO.
Purchased stock there.
Met Kit Carson.
To Oregon via Columbia River.
Arrived in Portland September 28. Took charge of store owned by Stephen Coffin for the winter.
Left Portland - went with first Territorial Governor Lane to mines in California.		  
  1851 Returned East via Isthmus of Nicaragua from San Francisco.
Took Vanderbilt ship for New York and train to Indiana. Away twenty-two months.
Contracted smallpox on return journey.
Home to New Castle for Christmas as promised.		  
  1852-55 Advertised for young men to go West.
Left St. Joseph, Missouri. Trip took five months.
Arrived in California using Beckwourth Pass.
Settled in Susanville, California.
Engaged in mercantile business.
Flood of 1852.
Rented the El Dorado Ranch above Marysville.
Purchased Spanish Ranch, 1853.
Birth of daughter, Eleanor Josephine Harvey, May 27, 1853.
Opened first bank.
Sold Spanish Ranch.
President of group to construct road from Quincy to Spanish Ranch.
Toll Road opened November 5.
Had half interest in the Western Hotel and Theatre in Marysville.		  
  1856 June: Birth of son, Richard Thompson Harvey, June 18, Plumas County, California.
October: Death of son, Richard Thompson, October 17, Plumas County, California.
Winter in Marysville.
Helped form company to establish Pioneer Road from Meadow Valley to Buckeye.
Sold Spanish Ranch for $5,500 to William Storey.
Went to Marysville by dog sled.		  
  1857 October: Birth of Daughter, Sarah Jessie Harvey, October 31, Plumas County, California.
Spanish Ranch reverted to I. J. Harvey.
G. W. Miner purchased store.		  
  1858 May: Death of Daughter, Sarah Jessie Harvey, May 19, Plumas County, California.
Postmaster, Spanish Ranch. 		 
  1859 Owner of canal at Spanish Ranch and Silver Creek, Plumas County, California.
Holdings worth $215,000.		  
  1860 December: Birth of Daughter, Mabel Harvey, December 11, Marysville, Yuba County, California.  
  1861 Marysville.  
  1862 Marysville.
January: Death of Son, William Mellett Harvey, January 5, Plumas County, California.
Spanish Ranch failed - Thompson and Kellogg became owners.		  
  1864 I. J appointed first county judge of Lassen County. Court opened by Judge Harvey on Monday, June 6.
Business collapsed in mountains.		  
  1865 June: Marriage of son, A. B. Harvey to Cornelia Hardgrave, June 19, Taylorsville, Plumas County, California.  
  1866 Looking for warmer climate in valleys to south.
Marysville during the winter.
Sarah very ill. Fronie had gotten them a furnished house. She was teaching there.
I. J. put "blister" on Sarah. When he took it off he always treated it with wilted cabbage leaves.		  
  1867 Purchased hotel with Benton.
Stayed three months in Healdsburg. Finding nothing to suit them, went to Suisun.
Kept Roberts Hotel for nine months then sold.		  
  1868 Settled in Salinas, July.
Built family home. Located in back of store facing Gabilan Street.
Open general merchandise store.
Ran for Coroner and Public Administrator of Monterey County on Republican ticket. Lost.
Helped organize first I.O.O.F. Lodge and cemetery.		  
  1869 Charter member of I.O.O.F Lodge meeting over Eagle Drug Store of Dr. E. K. Abbott.  
  1871 I. J. and A. B. contributors to the organization of Salinas Skating Rink Company.  
  1872 Death of I. J.'s father, Absalom Harvey.  
  1874 Moved house to corner of Monterey Street.
Charter member of First Baptist Church of Salinas.
Elected to five man Board of Trustees of Town of Salinas. Chosen its President.
By act of legislature, Salinas became a city May 4.
First Mayor of Salinas.
Served until December, then moved to Ward, Nevada for mining venture with A. B.		  
  1875 Mother, Eleanor Julian Harvey, came from Missouri for a visit.
Bankruptcy proceedings. Lost I. J. Harvey & Company, November.		  
  1878 San Francisco with part of family.  
  1880 San Francisco, promoting mining stock. Sulky Harrow Implement Company.  
  1881 Sold real estate and insurance in Salinas.  
  1890 Agent of Fidelity Mutual Aid Association of San Francisco, 504 Kearney Street.  
  1891 Death of Sarah Mellett Harvey, November 14.
Funeral November 16 - 11:00 A. M.		  
  1898 Wrote his will.  
  1899 Death of I. J. Harvey, August 17, Salinas, Monterey County, California at 12:45 P.M., aged eighty-two. Burial, Garden of Memories Cemetery.  

 

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This page created on 10/05/02 18:15. Updated 05/23/05 20:16.