FEATURE STORY: Peter D. Greene, Early Pioneer
by Del Troy
Green Street in downtown Tehachapi was named for Peter D. Greene, who came to the Tehachapi Area in 1856 and was influential in the development of the first settlements in the Tehachapi area. Greene (or "Green" in some documents) was born in 1827 in the State of New York but raised on his father's farm in Elyria, Ohio. By the age of 21 he had studied law, been admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court of Ohio, and practiced law there. The California gold rush of 1849 brought him to Hangtown, California, now known as Placerville, but by 1854 he had moved on to the gold strikes in the Kern River Country, and by 1856 he was in the Tehachapi area. In December of that year he set up camp in Mormon Gulch near Tehachapi where he prospected for gold (a company of Mormons had previously prospected for gold there, hence the name).
By 1859 he was associated with John Geldon, George Milliken, and Dade Holton in planting a barley crop in Bear Valley to be used as hay rather than grain. They also built some structures there.
In the early 1860's, Greene apparently moved to Los Angeles, serving there in the United States Government.
Greene returned to the Tehachapi area in 1864 to continue mining. By 1867, he and John J. Hendrickson opened new gold mining locations along Water Canyon Creek.
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P. D. Greene’s Notary Public Seal (Photo: C. Cunningham) |
These sites were later sold to John Brite, who wanted the water rights, not the gold. Greene was also involved in stock raising and based his operations at Oak Creek where a Tomlinson Stage Company's station had existed for a number of years.
Greene's history of involvement with the settlements in the Tehachapi area is confusing as Greene was involved at various times with first Oak Creek, then Tehichipa, then Williamsburg, followed by Greenwich and finally with present day Tehachapi, originally known as Tehachapi Summit. The following narrative will help explain the chronology although there are overlapping periods during which time he was involved with several communities.
On December 16, 1868 Greene applied for a post office to be called "Tehichipa" located at the OakCreek Stage station, and when approved in 1869, Greene was appointed its postmaster. This was the only post office in the whole Tehachapi area at that time. When the Tehichipa post office was moved to Williamsburg in 1877, an Edward Green was appointed postmaster (relation unknown). By the time the Williamsburg post office was discontinued on October 20, 1885, P. D. Greene had moved his Greenwich post office to the new population center of the railroad town known as Tehachapi Summit (later renamed Tehachapi), and all mail addressed to Tehichipa was sent there. Officially, the postal name "Greenwich" applied to Tehachapi Summit until April 18, 1893, when the postal name was changed to "Tehachapi".
The year 1873 found Greene busy opening a toll road from Comb's Station, located near the present day Broome Road overpass, to the Tehachapi summit, following an easier grade on the slopes north of Tehachapi Creek. Greene located his tollhouse east of Comb's Station. This predates the SP establishment of Tehachapi Summit as a community.
In 1875 Peter Greene founded the community of Greenwich, three miles east of Williamsburg, by constructing a large building to house a saloon and a post office for which Greene had applied. When approved, he was appointed postmaster on December 2 of that year. A hotel and bar was built and operated by Adelia Ward. The Los Angeles Stage kept a relay of horses at Greenwich, as it was adjacent to the toll road that Greene had built in 1873.
The Southern Pacific Railroad arrived in the Tehachapi Valley in July 1876,s bypassing Greenwich and instead building its depot one mile east, naming the new settlement Tehachapi Summit. In January 1878, eighteen months after the depot was completed, Mrs. Ward moved her hotel building to the new railroad town. Peter Greene, by now a Justice of the Peace, also moved his building that housed the Greenwich post office to Tehachapi Summit.
The original town of Williamsburg, also called Tehichipa, was likewise by-passed by the Southern Pacific Railroad and many residents literally moved their houses and businesses to the new town, just like those of Greenwich. Williamsburg thus became known as "Old Town," and the original town site, located on Old Town Road, is now part of West Golden Hills. All trace of Greenwich has disappeared.
According to Judge Greene, "a healthy condition of progress was made by 1888" at the new town site of Tehachapi Summit. Prosperity continued and Judge Greene noted that the area he had seen grow from a wilderness had become one of the "most prosperous sections of the state. Its exports largely exceed its imports and as a consequence the people are becoming exceedingly prosperous."
In 1891, while Greene was postmaster at Tehachapi Summit, he erected a new post office building. The post office remained there until 1898, when it was moved to the rear of a lot adjoining Burt Denison's brick building, which was more centrally located in the downtown business district.
The Daily Californian newspaper dated February 4, 1893 reported "The Death of Pioneer Judge P. D. Greene." It comments that even though he was a staunch Republican and abolitionist, Judge Greene always had the support of the many Southern sympathizers and Democrats. The article tells of the following incident:
An incident is related by Mr. Robert R. Taylor which recalls an oft-repeated wish of the judge. Mr. Taylor with two others, Mr. Knapp and a Mr. Schaefer, the latter of whom was school teacher here then, were appointed a committee of three to negotiate with P.D. for a cemetery on some land which he had in charge. P.D. declined to entertain the proposition at all, when Mr. Taylor remarked, "Judge, you sometime must die; where will we bury you? The Judge led them out of the office where he could get a good view of old Lone Tree mountain, and pointing up to where silent and majestic 3000 feet above all Lone Tree was bathed in a flood of crimson glory from the rays of the setting sun, exclaimed: "There, gentlemen, there will my old bones rest, and in no other place." When one of the party who was angry at him for not being able to get the land remarked, "Who do you suppose will take the trouble to 'pack' you way up there?" The Judge replied, "I have one hundred dollars laid away for that purpose."
Although Greene thought he had made arrangements to be buried atop Lone Tree Mountain, his wish was not granted. According to the same article, "his nephew, Mr. Hilton, of Santa Barbara is here making arrangements to carry the remains to Santa Barbara for interment." The article also went on to say—"It is rumored that he willed Mrs. Moses Hale $500; also $500 to Mrs. Kittie Wells of Keene. (He was always a staunch friend of Moses Hale, another old pioneer.) Both of these ladies have been tireless in nursing and soothing his last hours. The residue of his large property will probably go to his sister and niece, the Hiltons of Santa Barbara."
At the Tehachapi Museum, you will find an item belonging to Peter D. Greene, his Justice of the Peace stamp. Herb Force, who lived in the house now occupied by Dr. Hall on West E Street across from the Tehachapi Hospital, was digging one day in his yard when he unearthed the it. Herb donated the seal to the Tehachapi Museum soon after it opened on July 4, 1973 as a memorial to a man who contributed many years to the settlement of the Tehachapi Area.
President’s Column
by Charles White
For our members who live in the Tehachapi area, you have undoubtedly noticed all the activities surrounding the historic Downtown Tehachapi district in the past few years. Incremental changes have taken place, aided by partnerships between the City of Tehachapi, the Tehachapi Heritage League, Friends of the Tehachapi Depot, Main Street Tehachapi, the Tehachapi Community Theatre and others.
Most notable are the upcoming rebuilding of the Depot, the recent renovation of the BeeKay, Railroad Park improvements, the Historic Murals, the THL Walking Tour of Historic Downtown, the sign grants for downtown businesses, the new Chamber building and enhanced streetscapes with attendant vintage lighting, benches and landscaping. Other upcoming improvements include an addition to our Museum with space for the Kawaiisu Gallery, a Pedestrian Plaza to be built between the BeeKay and St Vincent DePaul, and the renovation and opening of the Errea House on a regular basis.
Private enterprise has done its part at the Tehachapi Market Place, the Apple Shed, Taco Samich, and through others who have made façade improvements to their buildings. In spite of current economic conditions, improvements are occurring daily and businesses are relocating and opening anew in Downtown.
Dedicated individuals continue to work for the good of Tehachapi, as they have throughout its history. We thank the THL members for their assistance in so many ways over the past 36 years, as Board Members, volunteers, docents, gardeners, contributors and for their loyal membership as dues paying members.
We have many projects on the table for next year’s Board of Directors to carry out. Please consider volunteering to help with some of our projects. We have vastly increased our volunteer pool over the past year and could use your help as well! Call me to discuss how you can help.
Charles White at 661.972.0958. |
