Yuba County
Biography Project
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Charles Egbert DeLong
Some of the earliest blue of Colonial American blood coursed through the veins of Charles Egbert DeLong. Descended from among the first European Dutch settlers to permanently inhabit the New World of 1601on the heels of Sir Henry Hudson, the DeLongs first came to the rich Hudson River Valley with the Dutch East India Company as employees, but soon began to permanently settle and farm that land first called The Original Beekman Patent (later Beekman, Dutchess County, New York). It wasn't until Charles Egbert DeLong left Beekman, over 200 years later, following the great California Gold Rush of 1849, that any DeLongs had ever strayed very far from that original homestead. Over the decades and generations about the only thing that had changed was the spelling of the family's surname to DeLong, which had evolved somehow from its original ancestor, Arie DeLangen's, spelling. The American ancestral male genealogy began with Frans, father of Arie, who did not immigrate from Holland, and continued on next to Jonas, then another Arie, then James, then Egbert and finally to Charles Egbert DeLong of this biography, who was born in August of 1832. He had an older brother, James Reid DeLong, born in 1829, and a younger sister Elizabeth who would marry Nathaniel Berry and remain in Dutchess County, New York. Orphaned as young children, the DeLong boys were raised by their paternal grandparents, the James DeLongs, and sister Elizabeth was raised by their maternal grandparents, the Reid Crandalls. In 1849 James left Beekman overland for California and the Gold Rush. Charles followed several months later by ship. After the brothers survived their harrowing journeys, they met up in the gold fields near Yuba County, California. James lasted only a year, and returned to New York and later enlisted in the New York Infantry during the Civil War. Charles remained and mined claims all over Yuba and Nevada Counties. He was elected Toll Taker, and this was followed by brief stints as a store clerk, a livery stable owner, a barkeeper and a tavern owner in the area. He was finally elected Deputy Sheriff of Yuba County, and then began to study law. He was admitted to the California Bar in 1857 and later was elected to the State Assembly from Yuba County, serving two terms. He was an avid student of the Classics, particularly of Homer. He was also interested in astrology, Spiritualism, astronomy, and was an avid thespian and enthusiastic card player. He kept meticulous diaries and personal journal entries, and wrote copious poems and letters throughout his short life. Though short and small-statured, he was dubbed "The Bantam Cock of California" due to his flamboyant nature and great admiration for the ladies. He was inducted into the Gravel Range Lodge of the Masonic Order on November 11, 1857. He later transferred to the Corinthian Lodge #69 upon his permanent move to Marysville, where he became Commander of #7 Knights Templar in January of 1861. In 1858 he attended his Inaugural Ball in San Francisco where he met the petite blonde daughter of a California State Legislator named Col. James R. Vineyard. This charming young girl was also the sister-in-law of his old political opponent, Ninian E. Whiteside who had married her older sister Caroline. Her name was Elida Field Vineyard, and she would become his wife, but not until she turned 18 at the insistence of her father. They finally married April 10, 1862 at San Francisco's elaborate Russ House in a large, formal ceremony attended by all the movers and shakers of the times. They had seven children, five of whom lived to adulthood: Lillian M. (Mrs. John Ewart Savage), Charles Egbert "Bertie" who died at age 30, Maud Asia (Mrs. Pringle), William Lunalillo "Willie", who died at age 30 after a fall from a balcony, Grace Aileen (Mrs. Harry Wilbur, who drowned in Fallen Leaf Lake along with her son and daughter in 1921) and two infants named Charles Vineyard, and Reid Crandall Delong who are also buried in Marysville City Cemetery. In 1867 he was appointed to defend murderer Jean Marie a Vilaine (aka John Milleian) who had been accused of murdering the famous prostitute, Julia Caroline Bulette in Virginia City, Nevada. His client was unfortunately hanged in one of the largest attended and most famous hangings in U. S. history. From 1869 to 1874 he was Diplomatic Agent to Hawaii, as well as U. S. Ambassador to Japan appointed by President U. S. Grant. After his return to the states, he again took up his law practice in Virginia City, Nevada. In early 1876 he was elected President of the Society of Pacific Coast Pioneers. In mid October of 1876 he developed typhoid fever and languished for nearly two weeks before dying on October 26, 1876 at the age of forty-four. After large funerals in both Virginia City, Nevada, and Marysville, California, he was laid to rest beside his two infant sons in the Marysville City Cemetery. Charles donated to the Marysville Masonic Lodge the first foreign flag (American) ever flown in Japan and an ancient Japanese suit of armor that he brought back with him from Japan after his term expired. Contributed by: Cher Haile 
CHARLES J. HEGGERTY.
Charles J. Heggerty, of San
Francisco, stands to-day as one of the foremost representatives of
the bar of California. From humble surroundings he has made his way
to large success through the open door of personal opportunity which
is the pride of our American life. Choosing as the field of his
labors a profession wherein advancement depends entirely upon
individual merit and ability, he has worked his way upward until,
entrusted with most important litigated interests, he has won for
himself the admiration and respect of the general public as well as
of the members of the profession who judge his work from a more
strictly technical standpoint.
Mr. Heggerty is one of
California's native sons, his birth having occurred in Smartsville,
Yuba County, December 27, 1860. His father, Morris Heggerty, was a
native of Ireland and in 1849 crossed the Atlantic to New York,
whence in 1853 he came to California, settling in Yuba County.
He was a blacksmith,
having learned the trade in Paisley, Scotland. His death occurred in
1873, when he was forty-five years of age. His wife, who bore the
maiden name of Mary O'Donnell, was born in County Donegal. Ireland,
and immigrated to America with three sisters, arriving in New York
in 1851. Three years later she started for California and took up
her abode in Smartsville. Yuba County, where she gave her hand in
marriage to Morris Heggerty. She survived her husband for about a
year and died at the age of forty-five. There were but two children
in the family. One died in infancy.
Charles J. Heggerty., the
surviving member of the family, was but fourteen years when left an
orphan. He acquired his early education in the public schools of
Yuba County and in St. Mary's College of San Francisco, and
completed a course in both the commercial and collegiate
departments, the former in 1878, the latter in 1880. In the latter
year he won the degree of Bachelor of Arts. Following his
graduation Mr. Heggerty took up the study of law with Geo, A. Knight
in 1881, and later read with the firm of Clunie & Knight. He was
admitted to the bar before the supreme court of the state in 1889,
and the following year entered into partnership relations with Geo.
A. Knight under the firm name of Knight & Heggerty,
a relation that has since been maintained. In 1903 he was admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court. He has engaged in a general law practice, and the legal interests entrusted to his care have been of a very important character. The first important case with which he was connected was that involving the right of the hydraulic mining claims of Yuba County to work their mines by the hydraulic process and deposit the mining debris in the Yuba river. Mr. Heggerty represented the Golden Gate Consolidated Hydraulic Mining Company, whose mine was situated at Smartsville. about a mile and a half from the Yuba river. His next important case concerned the estate of Judge Solomon Heydenfeldt, who was one of the justices of the supreme court of the state of California and a very celebrated mining lawyer. He left an estate valued at seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and his will, being contested by some of his children, the estate became involved in a mass of litigation which was in the courts from 1890 until 1902, when it was finally decided in favor of Mr. Heggerty's clients. At the time of the death
of Senator James G. Fair, in December, 1894, Mr. Heggery was
representing the son, Charles L. Fair; for seven and a half years
the litigation over that estate was pending in the various courts of
California and was finally concluded in May, 1902. Upon its
settlement Charles L. Fair and his wife, Caroline D. Fair, left
California for a trip to
Europe and both were killed in an automobile accident near Paris, France. Upon their death the estate again became involved in extensive litigation, which is now pending in the courts of California and New York. In this litigation Mr. Heggerty represents Herman Oelrichs as administrator of the estate of Charles L. Fair and Joseph Harvey and Charles S. Neal, as administrators for the estate of Caroline D. Fair. The Fair case involved the most extensive probate and general litigation that has ever come before the courts of California, the estate of Senator Fair being valued at thirty millions of dollars. In September, 1890, Mr.
Heggerty was united in marriage to Miss Annie M. Cashin, a daughter
of John and Grace Cashin, who were pioneer residents of Nevada City,
Nevada County. California, coming to this state about 1850. Her
father was interested in mining in early days and subsequently in
banking and stock-raising in Nevada County. The only child of Mr.
and Mrs. Heggerty died in infancy. Their home is at No. 2319 Scott
street, which was completed in the spring of 1903. His political
allegiance is given the Democracy, and he is a popular
representative of several local organizations of a social nature,
including the Native Sons of the Golden West, the Young Men's
Institute, the Hibernians, the Press Club and the Olympic Club. Of
strong mentality, developing his talents through use and adding to
his native ability that which comes as the result of thorough
preparation. he has made for himself an enviable name in legal
circles and his name is to-day by no means limited by the boundaries
of city or County, but extends beyond the limits of the state.
A History of the New California and It’s Resources and People Edited by Leigh H Irvine and Associated Editors on Pioneer Days, Agriculture, Mining, Irrigation, Manufacturing, Railroads & Education Illustrated The Lewis Publishing Company, New York & Chicago, 1905 Transcribed by: Martha
A Crosley Graham - Pages 338-339 |