Individual Details
Asa Manuel Hollenbeak
(17 Nov 1841 - 31 May 1919)
BIRTH-DEATH-MARRIAGE: FGS compiled by Charles T. Gotham, Box 54, Canton, PA
17724 (received 1984); Information obtained from Mrs. Evelyn Argles, 455 E.
Ocean Bl., #315, Long Beach, CA 90802 and Robert V. Anderson, Utica, N.Y.
BIOGRAPHY-BIRTH-CHILDREN-SPOUSE-DEATH: Frances A. Gassaway, Compiler, PIONEERS
OF YESTERYEARS; 1708-1900; Fort Crook Historical Society, Fall River Mills CA,
1977; pp 1-12; Book in possession of Art Hawkinson, Hudson WI 1995.
DEATH: Death Certificate for Asa Hollenbeak, Multnomah County, OR; 1919; Copy
in possession of Art Hawkinson.
In "Pioneers of Yesteryears" published in 1977 by the Fort Crook Historical
Society, Fall River Mills, CA, Frances A. Gassaway has written the story of
Benjamin Q. Hollenbeak and his family. Benjamin and his wife, Malinda Wilkerson
left Kentucky shortly after the birth of their oldest son, Asa, always looking
for a better place with more advantages. Everytime they moved they went
farther west.
In the spring of 1864, Benjamin and Malinda and family, their son William
Henry, wife Barbara and young daughter, Emma, and Asa and his wife joined with
others at Omaha to form one of the longest wagon trains that ever crossed the
plains. The Hollenbeak unit was a strong part of the train. They brought
wagons, equipment, cattle, horses, small farm animals and food enough to last
at least a year.
They settled first in Little Shasta Valley (California) where they stayed
for two years. By this time Asa and his wife had two little boys, Harry and
George, but unfortunately their marriage did not last.
Asa returned to the Fall River Valley which they had passed through two
years earlier in 1866, and Benjamin and his family and William Henry and his
family soon followed. Benjamin homesteaded what is the present W.C. Albaugh
Ranch and William H. chose to homestead across Pit River and south of his
father on land that is presently the J.W. Bruce place.
Asa homesteaded 160 acres with preemption about four miles north of
Pittville. Adding to his original as time allowed, he bought the homesteads of
others who were anxious to convert their land into money. There are fields on
the place today named for their original owners: Conrad, Cusick, and McCoy.
Over the years, Asa accumulated 880 acres which consisted of tillable land,
grass or hay land, and timber land, each an asset to a pioneer. The ranch lay
west and below a rim rock with springs bubbling up along under the rim which
furnished natural irrigation. He raised mules, horses and cattle and because
there were few fences the stock ranged over the hills far beyond the confines
of the ranch. Because Asa's stock mingled with the stock of other ranchers, he
needed an identifying brand. He choose "HL" connected and his ranch became
known as the H L Ranch.
In 1875, Asa married Miss Mary McClure and the two little boys, Harry Q. and
George, left their grandparents' home and came to live with Asa and Mary. To
Asa and Mary there were born five children: Mary Belle, Virgil, Hattie, Asa
Oscar, and James Arch. Virgil died a young man and Asa Oscar drowned while
still a child.
The Hollenbeak children rode three miles to the Pine Grove School. They
were schoolmates of the Palmer children, William H.'s children, Charley Young's
children and others of the pioneer settlers. Never was there a better place to
raise children than the H L Ranch: plenty of work and plenty of play in an
expanse of meadows with live springs; timberland populated with domestic and
wild animals; places to explore; places that are home to a doe and fawn; places
where a buck sleeps at night and rests on a warm afternoon or evening. The
brush covered hillsides that burst into bloom in the springtime, provided
shelter for the wild quail to hatch her young and feed them. There were ponds
where the wild ducks hatched and grew and where the wild animals could get a
drink. There were fields where the wild geese rested on their way south and
north.
The H L Ranch is about three miles east of Big Lake (Mud Lake or Fall River
Lake) where dwelt the largest concentration of Indian population in this
intermountain region at that time. The Indians came from far and near to
attend the activities of tribal councils, the Indian doctor's medicine rites,
the death rites and tribal dances. During these activities, the Indians, men
and women, gambled, playing the stick and grass games. Once in a while these
activities spilled over onto Asa's ranch and sometimes the Indians became
violent. However, Asa handled these occasions well, kept the Indian's
friendship and had little or no trouble. One day Arch was exploring in the
upper field when he dug out of the rocks a skull which bore the marks of a
hatchet or tomahawk.
Asa could buy and sell cattle near home but he must go farther to find a
market for his horses and mules. When he did sell them he had to drive them to
the railroad to ship them. One time he drove his mules to Salt Lake for
shipment, traveling the same trail that led the Hollenbeak's into this valley
in 1864. He took along extra drivers, extra saddle horses, a cook house and a
cook.
Of Asa's seven children, only three of them ever married. His oldest son,
Harry Quincy married Olivia Gassaway and to them were born three girls: Cora
(Ayers), Lora Etta (Brewster), Irene Vivian (Elder). Harry, like his father,
raised cattle and they lived on a small ranch near Big Lake. His life was
short-- he died at age thirty-six. He, however, did not leave the family
penniless. His widow remarried and the girls all married quite well.
Hattie married Ermal Whisman and they lived in Red Bluff where he went into
business, but they drifted apart. She spent her remaining years in Red Bluff.
There were no children.
James Arch married Lela D. Sutton, daughter of William and Sarah (Addy)
Sutton who were pioneers of the valley. After a couple years, Arch and Lela
bought the Hot Spring Ranch in Little Hot Spring Valley from David Schneider.
Here they raised cattle and summered them in the White Horse country. After
eight years, they sold the Hot Spring Ranch to the Lorenzen Brothers and moved
back to Fall River Valley, where they bought the Charely Young Ranch on Pit
River. This was a fine ranch-- meadow hay land, land suitable for other crops,
a well developed irrigation system and a timbered acreage to the north.
Charely Young had lived on the ranch in his declining years and had not been
able to do the work required to keep the place in good repair. Arch and Lela
had their work cut out for them.
Arch and Lela tore down the old Young house and built the house that stands
on the place today. To Arch and Lela were born five children: Virgil Glen,
Leland Arch, Merrill Sutton, Marvin Ray, and Daisy Wilma, all in Pittville.
Here they raised their children and made it their home for more than sixty
years. Their health failed and Daisy cared for them at her home in Placerville
during their last years. The children all did well and only Leland ever showed
any interest in farming or ranching.
We must not forget Arch's oldest sister, Mary Belle. Belle was unwilling to
spend her life at home helping where she really was not needed.
She never married. She seemed to have a plan for her life, and a wish to
carry out the plan-- it did not include a husband. She was ambitious to make
her own way and have enough to be independent. She was an excellent cook and
housekeeper, so she found herself working in homes and in kitchens where she
cooked for families, hay crews, harvester crews, logging camps, and wherever
people had to be fed. She worked near home and farther away.
When she no longer wanted to work so hard, she retired to her own home in
McArthur and became interested in things that interested her neighbors. She
lived a full life, was useful in the community and respected and beloved by all
who knew her.
Asa sold the H L Ranch and retired to a small house in Pittville near Arch.
His health failed and he died in Portland, Oregon where he had gone for medical
treatment in 1919. His wife, Mary, outlived him by sixteen years.
[NOTE: We know that another of Asa's sons, Virgil, married and fathered two
children; Wilbur, born ca 1910, died 1915; and Edna, born 1911, died 1960. NH]
17724 (received 1984); Information obtained from Mrs. Evelyn Argles, 455 E.
Ocean Bl., #315, Long Beach, CA 90802 and Robert V. Anderson, Utica, N.Y.
BIOGRAPHY-BIRTH-CHILDREN-SPOUSE-DEATH: Frances A. Gassaway, Compiler, PIONEERS
OF YESTERYEARS; 1708-1900; Fort Crook Historical Society, Fall River Mills CA,
1977; pp 1-12; Book in possession of Art Hawkinson, Hudson WI 1995.
DEATH: Death Certificate for Asa Hollenbeak, Multnomah County, OR; 1919; Copy
in possession of Art Hawkinson.
In "Pioneers of Yesteryears" published in 1977 by the Fort Crook Historical
Society, Fall River Mills, CA, Frances A. Gassaway has written the story of
Benjamin Q. Hollenbeak and his family. Benjamin and his wife, Malinda Wilkerson
left Kentucky shortly after the birth of their oldest son, Asa, always looking
for a better place with more advantages. Everytime they moved they went
farther west.
In the spring of 1864, Benjamin and Malinda and family, their son William
Henry, wife Barbara and young daughter, Emma, and Asa and his wife joined with
others at Omaha to form one of the longest wagon trains that ever crossed the
plains. The Hollenbeak unit was a strong part of the train. They brought
wagons, equipment, cattle, horses, small farm animals and food enough to last
at least a year.
They settled first in Little Shasta Valley (California) where they stayed
for two years. By this time Asa and his wife had two little boys, Harry and
George, but unfortunately their marriage did not last.
Asa returned to the Fall River Valley which they had passed through two
years earlier in 1866, and Benjamin and his family and William Henry and his
family soon followed. Benjamin homesteaded what is the present W.C. Albaugh
Ranch and William H. chose to homestead across Pit River and south of his
father on land that is presently the J.W. Bruce place.
Asa homesteaded 160 acres with preemption about four miles north of
Pittville. Adding to his original as time allowed, he bought the homesteads of
others who were anxious to convert their land into money. There are fields on
the place today named for their original owners: Conrad, Cusick, and McCoy.
Over the years, Asa accumulated 880 acres which consisted of tillable land,
grass or hay land, and timber land, each an asset to a pioneer. The ranch lay
west and below a rim rock with springs bubbling up along under the rim which
furnished natural irrigation. He raised mules, horses and cattle and because
there were few fences the stock ranged over the hills far beyond the confines
of the ranch. Because Asa's stock mingled with the stock of other ranchers, he
needed an identifying brand. He choose "HL" connected and his ranch became
known as the H L Ranch.
In 1875, Asa married Miss Mary McClure and the two little boys, Harry Q. and
George, left their grandparents' home and came to live with Asa and Mary. To
Asa and Mary there were born five children: Mary Belle, Virgil, Hattie, Asa
Oscar, and James Arch. Virgil died a young man and Asa Oscar drowned while
still a child.
The Hollenbeak children rode three miles to the Pine Grove School. They
were schoolmates of the Palmer children, William H.'s children, Charley Young's
children and others of the pioneer settlers. Never was there a better place to
raise children than the H L Ranch: plenty of work and plenty of play in an
expanse of meadows with live springs; timberland populated with domestic and
wild animals; places to explore; places that are home to a doe and fawn; places
where a buck sleeps at night and rests on a warm afternoon or evening. The
brush covered hillsides that burst into bloom in the springtime, provided
shelter for the wild quail to hatch her young and feed them. There were ponds
where the wild ducks hatched and grew and where the wild animals could get a
drink. There were fields where the wild geese rested on their way south and
north.
The H L Ranch is about three miles east of Big Lake (Mud Lake or Fall River
Lake) where dwelt the largest concentration of Indian population in this
intermountain region at that time. The Indians came from far and near to
attend the activities of tribal councils, the Indian doctor's medicine rites,
the death rites and tribal dances. During these activities, the Indians, men
and women, gambled, playing the stick and grass games. Once in a while these
activities spilled over onto Asa's ranch and sometimes the Indians became
violent. However, Asa handled these occasions well, kept the Indian's
friendship and had little or no trouble. One day Arch was exploring in the
upper field when he dug out of the rocks a skull which bore the marks of a
hatchet or tomahawk.
Asa could buy and sell cattle near home but he must go farther to find a
market for his horses and mules. When he did sell them he had to drive them to
the railroad to ship them. One time he drove his mules to Salt Lake for
shipment, traveling the same trail that led the Hollenbeak's into this valley
in 1864. He took along extra drivers, extra saddle horses, a cook house and a
cook.
Of Asa's seven children, only three of them ever married. His oldest son,
Harry Quincy married Olivia Gassaway and to them were born three girls: Cora
(Ayers), Lora Etta (Brewster), Irene Vivian (Elder). Harry, like his father,
raised cattle and they lived on a small ranch near Big Lake. His life was
short-- he died at age thirty-six. He, however, did not leave the family
penniless. His widow remarried and the girls all married quite well.
Hattie married Ermal Whisman and they lived in Red Bluff where he went into
business, but they drifted apart. She spent her remaining years in Red Bluff.
There were no children.
James Arch married Lela D. Sutton, daughter of William and Sarah (Addy)
Sutton who were pioneers of the valley. After a couple years, Arch and Lela
bought the Hot Spring Ranch in Little Hot Spring Valley from David Schneider.
Here they raised cattle and summered them in the White Horse country. After
eight years, they sold the Hot Spring Ranch to the Lorenzen Brothers and moved
back to Fall River Valley, where they bought the Charely Young Ranch on Pit
River. This was a fine ranch-- meadow hay land, land suitable for other crops,
a well developed irrigation system and a timbered acreage to the north.
Charely Young had lived on the ranch in his declining years and had not been
able to do the work required to keep the place in good repair. Arch and Lela
had their work cut out for them.
Arch and Lela tore down the old Young house and built the house that stands
on the place today. To Arch and Lela were born five children: Virgil Glen,
Leland Arch, Merrill Sutton, Marvin Ray, and Daisy Wilma, all in Pittville.
Here they raised their children and made it their home for more than sixty
years. Their health failed and Daisy cared for them at her home in Placerville
during their last years. The children all did well and only Leland ever showed
any interest in farming or ranching.
We must not forget Arch's oldest sister, Mary Belle. Belle was unwilling to
spend her life at home helping where she really was not needed.
She never married. She seemed to have a plan for her life, and a wish to
carry out the plan-- it did not include a husband. She was ambitious to make
her own way and have enough to be independent. She was an excellent cook and
housekeeper, so she found herself working in homes and in kitchens where she
cooked for families, hay crews, harvester crews, logging camps, and wherever
people had to be fed. She worked near home and farther away.
When she no longer wanted to work so hard, she retired to her own home in
McArthur and became interested in things that interested her neighbors. She
lived a full life, was useful in the community and respected and beloved by all
who knew her.
Asa sold the H L Ranch and retired to a small house in Pittville near Arch.
His health failed and he died in Portland, Oregon where he had gone for medical
treatment in 1919. His wife, Mary, outlived him by sixteen years.
[NOTE: We know that another of Asa's sons, Virgil, married and fathered two
children; Wilbur, born ca 1910, died 1915; and Edna, born 1911, died 1960. NH]
Events
| Birth | 17 Nov 1841 | , Kentucky or Iowa, , Ky Or Ia | |||
| Marriage | Bef 1864 | Iowa, , Ia - | |||
| Marriage | Abt 1875 | , California - Mary B. McClure | |||
| Death | 31 May 1919 | Portland, Multnomah, OR |
Families
| Child | George Hollenbeak |
| Child | Harrison Quincy "Harry" Hollenbeak (1865 - 1901) |
| Spouse | Mary B. McClure (1853 - 1932) |
| Child | Mary Belle "Belle" Hollenbeak (1876 - 1932) |
| Child | Virgil A. Hollenbeck (1878 - ) |
| Child | Asa Oscar Hollenbeak (1879 - 1919) |
| Child | Hattie J. Hollenbeak (1881 - 1932) |
| Child | James Arch Hollenbeak (1884 - 1932) |
| Father | Benjamin Quincy Hollenbeak (1815 - 1880) |
| Mother | Emma Malinda Wilkerson (1823 - 1910) |
| Sibling | William Henry Hollenbeak (1840 - ) |
| Sibling | Harriet M. Hollenbeak (1845 - ) |
| Sibling | Stephen B. Hollenbeak (1847 - ) |
| Sibling | George A. Hollenbeak (1851 - ) |
| Sibling | John Thomas Hollenbeak (1853 - ) |
| Sibling | Hannah Linda Hollenbeak (1855 - ) |
| Sibling | James Arnet Hollenbeak (1859 - ) |
| Sibling | Doctor Franklin "Doc" Hollenbeak (1867 - ) |