Uncle Andrew’s three boys were all little fellows, the youngest, John, was just a baby. Uncle Bill happened to be at the Caves. He must’ve left his family in San Francisco. I think it was in the early spring, maybe May.
When Grandpa Church first went to the Caves there were lots of deer in that part of the country. There were quail, rabbits and mountain quail and pigeon in the late fall, and doves in the summer time. Grandpa was not a hunter, but Uncle Andrew and Uncle Bill were good hunters and excellent shots. Game was the only meat there was to be had. There was an irrigation ditch and a small field of alfalfa, a nice orchard and a nice garden where all sorts of vegetables grew. The vegetables had to be used up during the season mostly, but the fruit was dried or canned for winter use, what could not be used fresh. Grandpa always had a milk house and plenty of milk and cream and butter. There were a few chickens to keep the family supplied with eggs and chicken to eat now and then. There was always a sow and some pigs coming along to keep the salt pork barrel full. Living at that time was different than it is today.
My grandfather bought the place from a man by the name of Marks and that must be around the 1880s. I think Mr. Marks had taken up the homestead there and I believe he paid a Spanish fellow something for a claim there. They said that when they came there that there was a big cross mark on a tree near the trail where a man had been buried. He was one of a party of Spanish explorers. The cross was plain to be seen when we were youngsters and going in and out of there. The tree was still standing when we passed there the last time.
When I was a little boy you must remember there was no automobiles no motorcycles and no airplanes. We had either to travel by horse drawn wagon, cart or surrey where there were roads, or horseback or on foot where there were no roads. It was home and so were some of my brothers and sisters back in the mountains where roads were few and very poor. Most of our travel was horseback if we had to go very far. If it was only a four or five mile trip, we walked.
About 100 years ago my grandfather Thomas church brought his family from Palmer Massachusetts to San Mateo County. My mother Sarah church was his daughter. She was then about six or seven years old. She had two brothers, Andrew and William, and two half brothers John and Frank McKay. Grandmother’s name was Susan and grandfather Church’s mother was with them. She died at Grabtown and was buried at Purissima Cemetery.