Sheriff Kendall, Origins Of…

Alonzo Burnham Kendall was born October 18, 1835 in Windsor County, Vermont. He died February 24, 1929 in Ukiah and was buried in Manchester. He first married Martha Blake in 1859 who was born in or about 1843 from Cosuskie County, Indiana. They were married by S. W. Howland, Justice of the Peace of Anderson Valley. (She was 16 years old, he was 24.) My source was the Courthouse in Ukiah. Their children were: 

1. Lon B. Kendall, born February 15, 1863. 

2. Fred W. Kendall, born May 9, 1865. 

3. Courtney L. Kendall, born Sept. 21, 1870.

She married Ada Cain and had 1 son, Lonzo Kendall who had two sons, Beryl and Leon 

4. Edith N., born October 1, 1878. 

My source was Mrs. Clyde Brewer (her name is Thelma), and Josie Estes Gowan. Mr. Alonzo Kendall remarried in 1883. His second wife was Mary Sears. Three children were born to them: 

1. Lowell Elwood, born March 28, 1889.

2. Edna, born September 17, 1892. 

3. Thelma, born March 11, 1895. Married in Ukiah to Clyde Brewer. 

While in Anderson Valley, Alonzo Kendall built a small hotel and a store. Nate Ingram helped him as a carpenter. Kendall called the place Kendall City. He was appointed Postmaster by Abraham Lincoln. 

Mr. Kendall stayed in Anderson Valley from 1864 to 1867. He crossed the plains in 1854 by ox team and settled in Anderson Valley. He moved to Manchester in 1867 where he lived until he joined his daughter, Mrs. Brewer, in Ukiah. He lived to age 93 and was survived by 14 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and 1 great, great-grandchild. 

Between the years 1865 and 1870, W.W. Boone arrived in Anderson Valley. Some time after Kendall left for Greenwood in 1867, Boone renamed the town Boonville. Some interesting sidelights on the age were gained from a letter written to me in 1963 by Alonzo Kendall's daughter, Edith Kendall Dinwiddie, who was at that time 85 years old. 

She wrote, “Once my father organized a drive of cattle to the ‘mines.’ By the time the cattle arrived, the price had fallen and he and his neighbors lost money.” It is of interest to note here that Alonzo Kendall and Melissa Kendall Ball were twins. Their mother had lived but only 11 days after their birth. The lonely and restless young father came to California with J.D. Ball and thereafter in later years came to live there. Of course the twin sister later married J.D. Ball.

Another interesting letter of Edith Kendall Dinwiddie's was sent to me by John W. Taylor whose uncle was George O. Sturtevant. Edith had read a copy of the Ukiah Republican Press in 1949 in which there was a sketch of Judge George O. Sturtevant's life. She reminded him in her letter that she had gone to school with him at Manchester. She wrote, “Do you remember a solemn, brown-eyed, pudgy little girl at Manchester named Edith Kendall? I was that rather unhappy child. If you have no recollection of me, I shall not hold it against you, for after all, a good many years have gone by since then. As a measure of how many, let me mention that my 71st birthday is due next month.” 

I also would like to quote once more from the letter so that we may see how propriety and women's fashions have changed. She wrote to the Judge, “I must tell you of one memory connected with your teaching that has amused me many times. I hope you enjoy it too. Once a girl wore oxfords to school instead of the high-topped shoes then proper for girls. You gave us a serious talk (as I have done in similar circumstances) about the immodesty of such dress and suggested that we write to some fashion authority for guidance. Any such persons would surely advise us, you said, against such daring footwear for school.”

* * *

November 13th, 1963 

Miss Blanche Brown Philo, California 

Dear Blanche: 

I noticed in your interesting talk the other day that you mentioned an Edith Kendall Dinwiddie. I possess a letter which she wrote to my uncle, the late George O. Sturtevant. I thought you might like to have the enclosed photocopy. 

Sincerely, John W. Taylor, Superintendent of Schools 

* * *

September 6, 1949 

Judge George A. Sturtevant Ukiah, California 

Dear Judge Sturtevant: 

When my neighbor let me read a recent copy of the Ukiah Republican Press, it set me thinking, for in it was a brief biographical sketch of you, one of the teachers who helped me on my way. I really must write to you. Do you remember a solemn, brown-eyed, pudgy little girl at Manchester named Edith Kendall? 1 was that rather unhappy child. If you have no recollection of me, I shall not hold it against you, for after all, a good many years have gone by since then. As a measure of how many, let me mention that my 71st birthday is due next month.

Because your life story was so interesting to me, I shall assume that you might like to see some of the highlights of mine. I went through Mendocino High School and University of California. When you heard that I had been awarded a scholarship at UC, you made me proud by sending congratulations. You quoted Kant, I remember: “So live that the acts of thy volition shall without contradiction stand for law universal.” I'm quoting from memory, so you see it made an impression. 

After graduation, I taught four years, then married in 1905. In 1914 I resumed teaching, and when I retired in 1946, I found that my years of service added up to more than 34. They were, for the most part, good years. I would not have chosen any other work. I must tell you of one memory connected with your teaching that has amused me many times. I hope you may enjoy it too. Once a girl named Deedie Inman wore oxfords to school instead of the high-topped shoes then proper for girls. You gave us a serious talk (as I have done in similar circumstances) about the immodesty of such dress and suggested that we write to some fashion authority for guidance. Any such person would surely advise us, you said, against such daring footwear for school. I have had many an inward giggle over this as I have looked at a modern bathing beach, or even followed a young flapper in pedal-pushers down Main Street. The things the years have done to women's fashions! 

I am glad to hear that now, full of years and honor, you have come back to the beautiful Ukiah Valley. You may have forgotten me completely, but you were an Important Person in my life and I am gratefully yours, 

Edith Kendall Dinwiddie 

* * *

July 6, 1963 

Dear Blanche Brown: I am sorry that I have so little information, but here are such facts as I have. My grandfather, Y.I. Kendall, and my uncle, J.D. Ball [he was her uncle after he married her aunt, B.B.] came to California in 1849, as I remember the story. I have no written records to bear me out. You see, my grandfather had lost his young wife (aged 21) when her twins were 11 days old, and he must have been a lonely and restless man. These twins were my father, Alonzo, and my aunt Melissa. She became the wife of J.D. Ball. 

I know nothing of the history of these two men up to the year my father came to California, 1854. He was 19 in October of that year, and his father made the journey back to Vermont to bring him to California. (By what route I do not know.) My father said they travelled by railroad to Peoria, Illinois, and there outfitted themselves with horses and wagons for the trip West. Father said they were six months on the way. You would probably not be interested in the fact that after a year, Father returned to Vermont, expecting to remain there. But after a year or so, California called and he came West again. I can remember nothing about his routes of travel, except that once at least he crossed the Isthmus of Panama. This may have been on a later trip East. 

Father said they traveled through this part of the country (Petaluma), but were afraid to settle for fear of Spanish grants, that they could never clear title to the land. So they traveled on north to Anderson Valley. There they saw wild oats belly-high on the horses and thought it would be a wonderful ploce to raise livestock. So they stayed there. 

I know little of those early days in the Valley. My father was postmaster for a time, had a commission signed by Abraham Lincoln. I remember seeing this, but have no idea what became of it. He also ran a small hotel for a time. He was asked to teach school but declined. Once he organized a drive of cattle to “the mines.” By the time the cattle had arrived, the price had fallen and he and his neighbors lost money. In the earliest days, Healdsburg was the nearest post office. Petaluma became an early shopping center and a shipping point for hogs and cattle. Father moved his family to a ranch near Manchester in the late 1860s. He had once worked in the Albion Mill. Perhaps that is how he learned that his asthma would be improved by the coast climate. 

Courtney Kendall of Point Arena was my brother. He was born in 1870, being eight years older than I, so I am sure he did not come to Anderson Valley in 1855. Some misunderstanding of the pronoun “he,” I imagine. I think Father said there was a Prathor in the group he came to the Valley with. I am on old, old woman, 85 the first of next October. I am in reasonably good shape now, able to do my housework and rnost of my gardening, but this state, of course, cannot be expected to last many more years. I am duly thankful and enjoy each day us it comes. If you come to see me, I will show you the little horse-hide covered trunk with “F.F.B.” in brass-headed tacks on its lid. This is my grandmother’s trunk she brought with her when she married my grandfather, Young Ichabod Kendall (What a name!) in 1834. Her twins were born October 18, 1835, and she survived only 11 days. Her name was Fanny Flavilla Burnham. 

When I stayed a few days in Rutland, Vermont, I went for a wak and crossed both Kendall Avenue and Burnham Avenue. I felt sure I was in the land of my ancestors. There were no living relatives for me to question however. I am most interested in your project of writing the Ball story. All success to you.

Sincerely,

Edith (Kendall) Dinwiddie