The Lot

The earliest historical record of the lot on which 96 Riverside is built is the 1866 City map "B" which shows lands of Michael and Anna Ward. Anna Ward owned land separately from her husband Michael Ward, and a few years later, that land and the entire neighborhood was subdivided by another woman who owed property in her own name. I haven't performed a statistical study, but I have seen many deeds from the early period where women were the sole owners of property, whether married or unmarried. For the married women, perhaps the land was held separately to protect it from the husband's creditors, but for single women and widows land ownership was one of the few ways of making a living.

This section still contains many leads for more research and exploration of themes: landownership by women in Mexican and American California 1836-1865, divorce, homesteading (why?), how land transferred from Californios to Americans, the real estate boom of late 1880s.

Ward
Campbell
Shafter
A map of the lot and its first houses.

Ward

In January 1865, William R. Ward gave a lot of 8 acres to his mother, which was to be her separate property, not held in common with her husband Michael Ward.

January 20th 1865 Deed of Gift

Commencing at the a low water mark of the San Lorenzo River and bounded there by and South by lands occupied formerly by a John W. Couth and now by one Barker, East by the land of Francisco Soris and North by the lands of W.F. and D. L. Cooper, containing eight acres more or less. ... sole and separate use, benefit and behalf forever as her separate property and free from the management and control of Michael Ward, her husband.

The deed quoted a recent California law: "...This conveyance being intended to operate by way of "Gift" according to the meaning of the word as used in the first section of "an Act to define the right of husband and wife" passed on the 17th day of April 1850, by the Legislature of the State of California, and to be followed by the legal effect therein given to acquisition by a married woman of property by Gift, to wit, That such acquisition shall be her separate property, and not the common property of the husband and wife."

A detail of Official Map "B" of 1866

In spite of this carefully worded gift, two years later, the 8 acres was split in two lots by decree of the newly incorporated city, the separate property of Michael and Anne Ward. I wondered what was going on here? What is Anne Ward's maiden name? Was she a Californio? or Irish?

$4 fee filed.

City to Michael Ward,
9 April 1867
Beginning on the north boundary of a lot of Barker at the corner lot of W F and JL Cooper; thence along the north boundary of said lot South 82 degrees west 11 86/100s chains to a station at the edge of the sand; thence leaving the boundary of the said lot of Barker north 8 degrees 30 minutes west 2 52/100 chains to a post marked W which stands in a fence; thence the North 70 degrees 32 minutes east 11 86/100 chains to a post marked W on the west boundary of the aforesaid lot of Cooper; thence along the west boundary of said Cooper lot South 11 degrees east for 4 90/100 chains the to the place of the beginning; being a post of the lot marked on official map B marked" Ward 8 644/1000 acres and containing an area of 4 400/1000 acres.

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City to Anna Ward
9 April 1867
Beginning at the northeast corner of a lot marked on official maps the in the town of Santa Cruz " Michael Ward " 8.044 acres" thence along the south boundary of a lot of W F and J. L. Cooper South 60 degrees 25 minutes West 18 85.00 chains to a post to the corner of a lot of Cathcart. Thence along the east boundary of a lot of Thurber 12 degrees 45 minutes east 1.99 chains to the corner of a lot of Barker. Thence along the north boundary of said a lot of Barker North 82 degrees east 5.95 chains to a station at the edge of land. Thence North 8 degrees west 2.52 chains to a post in a fence marked W. Thence North 70 degrees 30 minutes east 11.86 chains to a post the fence marked W on the west boundary of the a foresaid lot of Cooper. Thence along said boundary North 11 degrees west 4 and chains to the place of beginning being a post of the a foresaid lot marked to "Michael Ward" and containing one area of 4.4 acres.

Anna Ward died Dec 30, 1889, and no mention is made of a husband, living or dead in this probate record. We do know she is Catholic, and one of her daughters was a nun.

Probate record:

WARD, Anna

Res Santa Cruz City/Co, Died 29 Dec 1889. Next of kin: Emily Ann Marsh wife of M. L. Marsh predeceased her. Daughter Martha M. Ward known as Sister Eulalia, daughter Margaret E. Nichols, son William R. Ward.
Executor, William R. Ward

Will 19 November 1889
Filed 23 Jan, 1890
Terms: Nothing to children of deceased daughter, Sister Eulalia $200. Father Hugh McNamee $25 for Masses, William R. Ward and Margaret Nichols the balance of the estate. William is to repay $200 she loaned him by mortgaging her lot and house.

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This may be Michael Ward's obituary, since the daughter's name is the same as in the probate record:

SC Sentinel, November 8, 1927

"WARD: at Aptos, Nov 28th. Michael Ward, father of Mrs. Ben Nichols, a native of Ireland, aged 78 years."

However, this Michael Ward, would have been born c.1849 which would make him only 18 when he was deeded the land by the City. If he had a son named William R. Ward, that son would have been too young to deed his mother anything--unless he was a child of an earlier marriage who changed his name.

I haven't yet found any other information about Ben and Margaret Nichols of Aptos, or Anne and Michael Ward.

The Wards may have built the house known later as "80 Riverside." John Chase, in his "Sidewalk Companion to Santa Cruz Architecture" says of it: "Saltbox-shaped, clapboard house of the 1850s or '60s, with newer porch." Santa Cruz has no building permits this early, nor any City directories for this period

Anna's land of 4.4 acres was sold by Edward Williams to "Lilletson Horner" Gafford, for $2000 in gold, March 28, 1887, so by this time (a real estate boom) the Wards had sold the land. I don't know how Williams got it from Anna Ward, I didn't find that deed. It may exist, I just couldn't find it.

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Campbell/Jess

The Ward land and other lots in the neighborhood were purchased piece by piece by Mrs. Matilda Campbell. She may have had a husband when she arrived in town, but by 1887 she is a widow. One story about her arrival is California is told by her son, in a 1932 family history recorded in vol 9, page 53 of the Records of the Families of California Pioneers in the California State archives:

Benjamin Franklin Campbell is the source for this report. Mrs. Matilda Campbell immigrated to California with her husband John Oliver Campbell in 1856, leaving from Council Bluffs, Iowa with their five children. The family started out with a fine outfit, oxen, cattle, a carriage, horses. By the time they reached the last high mountains they had lost their treasures one by one. They finally arrived in Placerville with nothing but one old cow which had but one eye the other had been shot out by an Indian arrow.From Placerville the family came to Petaluma, or as it was spelled at the time Patoloma. The family settled in Petaluma.

This family story makes no mention a branch of family coming to Santa Cruz. Only Benjamin Franklin and a brother, George, stayed in Sonoma County. Matilda, and her children Cornelia, Corlista, and Alonzo moved to Santa Cruz. John O. Campbell is not mentioned again in any of the materials I've found.

We also have this obituary of Alonzo:

Death of Alonzo E. Campbell: Alonzo E. Campbell, a member of an old and highly respected family of Santa Cruz, died at Santa Clara at the age of 61 years. The deceased was born in Iowa and when a very young child crossed the plains by ox team. His childhood was spent in Sonoma county, near Petaluma, and it was here he received his education. At the age of 20 years his parents moved to San Luis Obispo county and engaged in the dairy business. In 1879 he came with his parents to Santa Cruz and settled on Riverside venue in the old family home now occupied by George Shafter and family. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. O. Campbell, owned several acres in that locallity and laided out Campbell street and it was from them this street derived its name. The deceased was an unmarried man and leaves a sister, Mrs. C. E. Jess, formerly of Riverside avenue and now a resident of Scotts Valley, two brothers B. F. Campbell of Sonoma county and George Campbell of San Jose. [Santa Cruz Surf, 30 June 1914 3:7]

The woman who arrived in California with nothing but a one-eyed cow did fairly well for herself, purchasing land and subdividing it during the real estate boom of the late 1880s. Lilletson Horner Gafford (spelling of name is unclear) sold the land on the east side of Riverside in 1883 to the Campbells. I don't know how Mrs. Campbell got the land west of Riverside from Gafford. The bank sold another lot on the south of this land to the Matilda Campbell in 1884.

The Campbells lived in their houses on the west side of the street, probably first at 80 Riverside, the 90 Riverside. See the map of the lot, below.

By summer 1885, Mrs. Campbell was selling lots in her subdivision on both sides of Campbell St, and the east side of Riverside. On June 2, 1885. Mrs. Campbell bought this ad in the Surf:

"Building lots on the new street running from Broadway to the Riverside House. Inquire of Mrs. Campbell." A year and a half later, in January 1887, the Riverside neighborhood real estate market was "booming" according to a Santa Cruz Surf news article. Streets were torn up and being "improved."

This article and more stories of the neighborhood will appear in that section of this history..

Matilda gave her land and house(s) to Cornelia Campbell, July 23, 1887. One acre of land, bounded by the land of Thurber (on the riverbank), and John Brazer on the north, and by Riverside and Barson on the East and South. "And being the same premises where the said party of the first part now resides, intending to convey thereby, all lands owned by the party of the first part lying West of Riverside Avenue." It is this one-acre homestead that now contains the lot occupied by 96 Riverside.

A few days later, on the 26 of July 1887, Matilda gave the same land to her son, Alonzo as a life estate. "Upon death of him, the said Alonzo Campbell to pass in fee simple absolute to and vest in Cornelia E. Campbell the daughter of the said party of the first part, her heirs and assigns forever, provided however that during the lifetime of the said Alonzo E. Campbell, the said Cornelia E. Campbell may at her option reside upon said premises and the same as a home for herself at her own pleasure and the life estate hereby conveyed to the said Alonzo E Campbell is hereby espressly made subject thereto."

The other daughter, Corlista, married the man who owned the lot across the street, at Barson and Riverside. William F. Jess bought about an acre of Gafford in 1883, and in 1887 Corlista Campbell Jess and W.F. Jess filed a homestead on it.

Corlista's husband was a home builder. Perhaps he built 90 Riverside?

[Surf, July 13, 1887.] The handsome cottage of Thomas Pilkington, Sr. on Railroad St in Branciforte is nearly finished. It contains eight rooms and will cost about $1,700. Mr. W. P. Jess is the builder.

Pilkinton developed a resort that became the neighborhood of Seabright. Railroad street is an early name of Seabright Avenue.

The form of Corlista's name used in her brother's obituary could indicate that she was divorced by 1914.

Shafter

August 25 1902

Campbells to Shafter

Corlista Jess and her brothers sold the homestead of Cornelia and Alonzo to Edwin G. Shafter in 1902 for $1300. Corlista Jess, and her brothers, Alonzo E. Campbell (of Santa Cruz), George O. Campbell, Benjamin F. Campbell (of Sonoma) appear on the deed. Cornelia is not listed on this deed, and I didn't find any record conveying her interest to the rest of her family previous to this. The family history gives her name as Campbell Benfield, and I haven't yet been able to track her down.

Shafter moved in family in to 90 Riverside, and divided the corner into two lots. The lot nearest to Barson he sold to J. L. Wright for $10, February 24, 1905. The following year, he sold the lot next to it to the Nethertons for $10. It seems like a low price to pay for a lot in Santa Cruz, but a "ten dollar lot" was the usual price, for many decades, off and on.

SC Surf, July 17, 1905: The new residence of City Clerk Wright on Riverside Avenue, is in the hands of the painters, and fast nearing completion.

This is the house that stood next door to 96 Riverside until the 1960s. A former owner said it was identical to the Netherton house. Mr. Wright and Mr. Netherton probably worked together at the City, and Wright's residence on the street is may by a factor in why the Netherton's moved in next door.

In The Duplex years, the old homestead was again owned by a single family.

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E. G. Shafter buys barber shop. [Surf, November 13, 1889]

Edwin G. Shafter's obituary: August 10, 1926.

Hundreds of friends in Santa Cruz were shocked today to learned of the sudden passing last night of Edwin George Shafter while seated in his home at 4 Murray street. Mr. Shafter had been about the streets of the city as usual during the day and had returned to his home shortly after 4:00. Death was caused by a sudden hemorrhage. Dr. P. T. Phillips was immediately summoned but Mr. Shafter's condition was found to be beyond medical aid. The deceased was 70 years of age. He was born in Wisconsin but has resided in Santa Cruz for many years. He was actively engaged in business until several years ago and has recently employed himself in the bond brokerage business. He was exceptionally well known and liked in the community. Always in times of political activity, Mr. Shafter could be found circulating petitions of several candidates. He is survived by a wife , Mrs. Finnette Locke Shafter, a member of the well-known D. M. Locke family of Scott's Valley; and a son by a former marriage, Maxwell B. Shafter of Oakland. The remains are at the Wessendorf mortuary.

Santa Cruz boy, H. S. graduate, dies in Oakland
Funeral services were held this afternoon in the California crematorium at Oakland for Maxwell D. Shafter, 30, who was born in this city he was the son of Mrs. Alice Shafter and the late E. G. Shafter and was graduated from the Santa Cruz high-school in 1918, later moving to Oakland to live with his mother. In Oakland he entered the government service and for more than five years was a clerk at Angel island in San Francisco bay. Later he joined and remained in the service to the Post Office Department in Oakland. The death came Thursday after an illness of nearly a year. [SC Surf, October 25, 1930.]

Maxwell was the same age as Haswell Leask and Hazel Netherton.

Mrs. Shafter and Mrs. Netherton have the same first name.

A Map of the Lot and its first houses

Click on the link below to see a map of Riverside Avenue in 1892.