Bio-Sawyers
SURNAMES: MOREY, PERKINS, JEWELL,
A California pioneer of 1856 and a veteran of the Civil War, S. H. Herring was born in the town of Poland, Maine, June 20, 1834. The family is traced back to England, and were early settlers of Massachusetts and thence removed to Norway, Maine. Mr. Herring's father, Daniel Herring married Phelanda Morey, whose father served in the Revolutionary War; she passed away in 1838. The father removed to Illinois to locate on Government land, but was taken sick and returned to Maine, where he married a second time and in 1856 the family moved out to California and here he passed away. S. H. Herring is the only one living of his eight brothers and sisters, of which he was one of the youngest. His youth was spent on the farm and he was -early set to work like other farmer boys. He attended the public schools, but obtained the greater part of his education by self study, for they were a family of students, and even in those early days they received eleven different periodicals, all of them scientific. Thus he acquired habits for research work that have continued with him all through life. For a time before coming to California Mr. Herring was employed in a nursery at Brighton, Mass., so had become interested in horticulture before arriving in the Golden State in 1856, having made the trip via Panama. At first he located on a ranch six miles above Marysville and made improvements, but had to leave it on account of a defect in the title. He then removed to near Forbestown, but having contracted malaria while in Yuba County, he went into the mountains at Gibsonville, where he recovered.
In 1861 Mr.
Herring volunteered in Company D, First California Cavalry, for service
in the Civil War. They proceeded to Southern California, marched across
the desert through Arizona and New Mexico to El Paso, Texas, and thence
as escort to 105 prisoners to Fort Clark, after which they returned to
El Paso. Thence he went to Fort Craig and a year later was detailed
with others to escort Governor Goodwin and his outfit to Fort Whipple,
Ariz., where he remained until his discharge, September 7, 1864, after
which he returned to California. At first he followed orcharding in
Butte County; then he began teaming into Nevada, hauling lumber to the
mines, and he later helped build the railroad through the Sierra
Valley; afterwards he spent some time riding after cattle and learned
to handle and rope cattle. In 1871 he came to San Jose and established
the California Agriculturist as a monthly and published it seven years
in the interests of the farmer, standing stanchly for prohibition. He
also published two different dailies, the Independent Californian and
the other the Garden City Times. In December, 1878, he was taken ill
and had to go to the mountains to save his life, so he sold out to the
Rural Press of San Francisco.
He then homesteaded on government land in the Santa
Cruz Mountains, built a residence, and set out a twenty-acre orchard of
apples, prunes and pears; the rest of the ranch he devoted to
stockraising; later he turned the management of the ranch over to his
son and for a time lived in San Francisco. Twenty-seven years ago he
located in Los Gatos where he owns a comfortable home and resides with
his wife, whom he married in Santa Cruz. She was Dr. Laimee (Perkins)
Jewell, a widow who was graduated in medicine in New York City. She had
first come to California as early as 1851, but returned East and
studied medicine in New York City, after which she practiced medicine
in Santa Cruz. A woman of much capability and culture, she has been a
splendid helpmate and devoted wife, their union having been blessed
with two children: Fred D., who is on the old home ranch, and Joe P., a
taxidermist in Los Angeles. Mr. Herring is an Odd Fellow and with his
wife is a member of the Rebekahs and the Santa Clara County Pioneer
Society. He is also a member of the E. 0. C. Ord Post No. 82, G. A. R.,
Los Gatos, of which he is a past commander and Mrs. Herring is a member
of the Woman's Relief Corps.
From Eugene T. Sawyers' History of Santa Clara County,California, published by Historic Record Co. , 1922. page 1141
SANTA CLARA COUNTY The Valley of Heart's Delight