Pierson B. Reading
Pierson Barton Reading | |
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| Born | November 26, 1816 New Jersey,US |
| Died | May 29, 1868(aged 51) |
| Spouse | Fanny Washington |
Pierson Barton Reading(November 26, 1816 – May 29, 1868) (also referred to asPearson,and asParson) was aCaliforniapioneer.
Life[edit]
Reading was born inNew Jersey.He came across country toCaliforniawithSamuel J. Hensleyas a member of theChiles-Walker partyin 1843. In 1844, Reading entered the service ofGeneral Sutteras a clerk, explorer, and chief of trappers. He received the 26,632-acre (10,778 ha) Mexican land grantRancho Buena Venturain 1844 for the area occupied by today'sRedding, California,andCottonwood, California,along theSacramento River.In the Winter of 1844–45, while Sutter was marching with about one hundred men to join Governor Michaeltorena, Pierson was in command atSutters Fort.[1]In 1846, Reading was a participant in theBear Flag Revolt.In theMexican–American War,Reading enlisted under Fremont and was appointed Paymaster of theCalifornia Battalion,with the rank of Major. In 1848 Reading was among the first to visitJames W. Marshall's gold discovery inColoma, California– and shortly after engaged extensively in prospecting for gold inShasta County,and along theTrinity River.In the fall of 1849, Major Reading fitted out an expedition to discover the bay into which he supposed the Trinity andKlamath Riversmust empty. From 1849 to 1850, Reading operated a store inSacramentowith Samuel J. Hensley and Jacob R. Snyder. He was theWhigcandidate forGovernor of Californiain1851.[2]
In 1854 Reading went toWashington, D.C.for theUS Supreme Courthearing on his land grant claim. There he met and married Fanny Wallace Washington. They had six children together.
Reading returned to his Rancho Buena Ventura in Shasta County in 1856, where he remained until his death in 1868.[3]
See also[edit]
- California Historical Landmarks in Shasta County
- Reading Adobe
- Clear CreekShasta Gold find site
- Reading's BarShasta Gold find site
References[edit]
- ^[1]Supreme Court of the United States No 135. "The United States vs Sutter"
- ^BiographyMemorial & Biographical History of Northern California, The Lewis Publishing Co., 1891
- ^Shuck, Oscar T., "Representative & Leading Men of the Pacific", Bacon & Co., Printers & Publishers, San Francisco, 1870. Pages 29–33
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