Lewis family

Biography

Reed Lewis was born on October 14, 1787 in Vermont. He later moved to New York and was a pioneer of Saratoga County. In 1810, he married Margaret Bacon (1794-1869). They had five children: Sarah, Catherine, Jane, Mary, and John.

John Bacon Lewis, the youngest of Reed and Margaret Lewis' children was born on March 15, 1825 in Northumberland, New York. After the death of his father in 1836, John was sent to live with his sister Jane and her husband, James Cowles in Farmington, Connecticut. He resided there until 1847 when he returned to New York and entered into the mercantile business in Schuylerville.

On February 2, 1848, John married Elizabeth Bodwell. Elizabeth (October 10, 1826-October 20, 1866) was born in Farmington to Augustus and Olive (Buck) Bodwell. John and Elizabeth had two children: John Bacon Lewis (1849-1850) and Charles Wadsworth Lewis (1853-1942).

In January 1849, John joined the New York Union Mining Company, formed for the purpose of gold mining in California. The company set sail for California on February 23. However, when the group reached Panama, they found "two to three thousand people all anxious to get to California before the gold was all exhausted, and there was but one steamer available, therefore we were detained." After a four month stay in Panama, the company arrived in San Francisco in late August 1849 and soon dissolved their partnership. Shortly after his arrival in San Francisco, John bought a horse and cart and started a draying business. Elizabeth joined John in California in 1851.

In 1856, John sold his draying business and moved to Sonoma County. There he purchased a tract of land with his brother-in-law, Charles Augustus Bodwell. They cultivated the land together until 1864, when John bought out Charles' interest. In 1900, John moved to Petaluma where he resided until his death on January 6, 1909.

Sources:

Gregory, Tom. History of Sonoma County, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county, who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present time . Los Angeles, Calif., Historic Record Company, 1911.

The Pioneer and Historical Review. [San Jose, Cal.: A.P. Murgotten], September 1898.

From the guide to the Lewis Family Papers, 1784-1909, (University of California, Davis. General Library. Department of Special Collections.)