The late Dr. Hugh James Glenn was one of
the most prominent upbuilders of the northern part of the Sacramento Valley, where he was a large landowner and a
prosperous rancher. He was born in Mt. Vernon, Va., on September 18, 1824, a son of George
Glenn, also a Virginian, who moved to Paris, Mo., and passed his last days there. Hugh J. Glenn was educated in the
common schools and grew to manhood in Missouri. Desiring to become a physician, he began a medical course in 1844,
attending lectures in McDowell’s College, in St. Louis. In 1845, however, fired with intense patriotism, he enlisted
in the First Missouri Regiment of mounted volunteers, under General Price, for service in the Mexican War ; and during
the following two years he took part in several battles. After his discharge, in 1847, he resumed his medical studies in
Cooper Medical College, from which he graduated with highest honors in a class of two hundred.
After practicing two years in St. Louis, Dr. Glenn decided that lie would come to California. On March 15, 1849, he was married to Nancy Harrison Abernathv; and on April 12 of that year, leaving his young bride, he came across the plains. He arrived in Sacramento in August, safe but penniless, and went to the mines on the American River, at Murderer’s Bar, where he worked a claim for two months; but wealth did not roll into his sluice-boxes as he had hoped it would, and so he bought a team of oxen and began hauling freight from Sacramento to Coloma and various mining camps. He kept at this work until he had enough money to open a livery stable in Sacramento, which he later sold for $5,000. He returned to Missouri in 1850, and put his money into a St. Louis bank, which failed three weeks later. To get another “stake,” Dr. Glenn came back to California in 1851, and located on Stony Creek, where he raised stock that winter. He made up his mind that he would make California his future home ; so in the spring of 1852 he went back to St. Louis, and the following year brought his family and settled in Yolo County, on Putah Creek. Renting land near Davis, he engaged in farming and stock-raising in company with Major Biggs and S. E. Wilson. He met with success, but in 1856 sold out his interests and went back to Missouri with his family. There he remained two years, after which he came again to California. He made thirteen separate trips across the plains with bands of horses and cattle, and finally entered into partnership with Messrs. Biggs and Wilson, with whom he continued until 1867. He then bought eight thousand acres on the north end of the Jacinto ranch, in what is now Glenn County. From time to time he added to his holdings, until he had purchased the entire forty-two thousand acres, and also, six thou- sand acres from the Larkin heirs. He continued buying land, and acquired four thousand acres in Tehama County, besides leasing twelve thousand acres of the Butte Creek ranch, and ten thousand acres of the Montgomery ranch. In time he became one of the largest landowners in California. His ambition was to raise one million sacks of grain in one year, but he fell a little short of this on account of the local conditions, though he had eighty thousand acres in grain.
In 1870 Dr. Glenn purchased a large ranch in Nevada, where he engaged in the stock business. This property was sold in 1885, to Miller & Lux, for $250,000. It was known as the Crutcher- Glenn Cattle Ranch, the corporation taking its name from the owners of the property, Walter Crutcher and Dr. Hugh Glenn. In 1871 Peter French began to work for Dr. Glenn as a vaquero. That year he took a bunch of cattle to Oregon, where he bought land from time to time until he had purchased one hundred fifty thousand acres, which was devoted to raising hay and enormous numbers of stock, under the name of the French-Glenn Cattle Ranch. This was sold to Senator Corbett, for his son. Dr. Glenn was a candidate for governor at one time, but was defeated by George Perkins. He was a prominent factor, also, in the State Board of Agriculture. He died on February 17, 1882.
Mrs. Glenn survived her husband until September, 1891, dying at the age of sixty years. She was born in Paris, Mo., a descendant of a pioneer family of that state. She had six sons and three daughters, all now deceased but Charles H., Mrs. Charles Leonard, and Frank B.
Like his father, Frank B. Glenn takes an active part in public affairs. In 1899-1900 he served as assemblyman from Colusa, Glenn, and Lake Counties. He has been twice married, first in Oakland, to Dita Bradley, of Nevada, who died in 1890. His second marriage occurred in 1892, when he was united with Philmont Jarvis, born in Yolo County, by whom he has one daughter, Nancy Glenn.History of Colusa and Glenn Counties
California with Biographical Sketches of
the Leading- Men and Women of the Counties Who have been Identified with
their Growth and Development from the Early Days to the Present
History By Charles Davis McCormish and Mrs. Rebecca T. Lambert
Illustrated
Complete In One Volume
Historic Record Company
Los Angeles, California
1918
Page 441
Page 387-389
Dr. Hugh James Glenn was born near Staunton. Augusta County, Virginia, in 1824. When he was a boy, his family removed to Paris, Monroe County, Missouri, and being an only child, he was indulgently treated and given, at private schools, every opportunity to acquire such education as the locality and the times permitted. In 1844 he attended a course of lectures in McDowell's Medical College of St. Louis. In 1845, seized with a spirit of patriotism, he enlisted in a division of the army commanded by General Price, and participated in the battles of Taos and Moro. Receiving an honorable discharge in 1847, he returned to St. Louis, resumed his medical studies, and afterwards graduated with the highest honors in a class of two hundred. He remained in St. Louis for two years, and on March 15, 1849, he was united in marriage to Miss V. H. Abernathy, who still survives him. On the I2th of April following, he left his young bride and started across the plains in quest of fortune and a new home. After an adventurous journey, his party arrived in Sacramento in the following August. With no capital whatever, Dr. Glenn sought the tempting mines and staked out a claim on Murderers' Bar, on the American River. He remained there a couple of months, and, having gathered together a few dollars, he bought an ox-team and carried freight for a few months from Sacramento to Coloma, and various points in the mountains. He then opened a livery stable in Sacramento, conducted this successfully for a short time, and then disposed of it for $5,000. With this amount he returned to Missouri, and, after remaining there two years, he set out again to cross the plains. He made another trip back to Missouri in 1853 and returned to California with his family, locating on Stony Creek, just at the north end of the present Glenn ranch, in Colusa County.
From 1852 to 1855 Dr. Glenn had associated himself in the cattle trade with S E Wilson, Major Briggs, of Yolo, subsequently coming into the firm. Selling out his interest, in 1856 he returned to Missouri, accompanied by his family, expecting to pass the remainder of his days in that State. But the yearning to return to the scene of his early labors and adventures was too strong within him to be repressed, and so we find him, after a couple of years of restless residence in Missouri, returning again to the Sacramento Valley. For several years after 1859 Dr. Glenn traveled back and forth over the plains with droves of cattle, horses, and mules, varying the trip occasionally by going to New Orleans. He now attempted farming, and in 1865 he was joined by Major Briggs as a partner in his agricultural operations, and the "big ranch" in Yolo became noted throughout the county. In the spring of 1867, Dr. Glenn determined to make California his permanent home, and with that object in view he purchased land in Colusa County, and in the spring of 1868 moved, with his family, to Jacinto. It was here he began the cultivation of grain, which made him the largest farmer in the world, managing the cultivation of nearly sixty thousand acres of land in Colusa County, besides owning large stretches of grazing and grain land in Nevada and Oregon. The fencing of his Colusa County farm measured one hundred and fifty miles, and divided it into seven main fields, the largest containing twelve thousand acres. In 1880 Dr. Glenn shipped to England on his account twenty-seven thousand tons of wheat and received not less than $800,000 for it. He usually raised a half million bushels of wheat per year. Besides managing a wheat farm, he set out a vineyard of several hundred acres of wine and raisin grapes. Though strict in his business relations, Dr. Glenn was noted for his kindness of heart, and the unostentatious manner in which he exerted it. When one of his partners was at one time embarrassed by heavy losses, with a large family and without a dollar, Dr. Glenn furnished him the capital to go on with, telling him that as long as he had a dollar half of it belonged to his distressed associate. Dr. Glenn was always a busy man, and seldom took any recreation. His first and only experience as a public man was as a member of the State Board of Agriculture. In 1879, with reluctance, he accepted the nomination for Governor by the New Constitution and Democratic parties, being defeated by George C. Perkins. After his defeat the , Doctor returned to his ranch at Jacinto, superintending in person the five or six hundred men, who, during the summer season, were in his employ.
Dr. Glenn was shot and killed by Hurum Miller on the Jacinto ranch, on February 17, 1883. (The circumstances attending the killing are given in this book under that date.) Surviving Dr. Glenn are his wife and three children.
Page 196-198 (Account of the murder of Hugh James Glenn)
February 17, Dr. H. J. Glenn, of Jacinto, perhaps the most extensive farmer in the world, shot and killed at his home by Huram Miller. Miller had been in the employ of Glenn but a short time as book-keeper. Glenn had favored Miller in many ways. In fact, he made the place of book-keeper for Miller, hoping to restrain him in his thirst for strong liquors by occupying his mind and keeping him aloof from opportunities for social indulgence. Dr. Glenn stuck to Miller like a brother, in fact, there are not many brothers who would be so ready to overlook faults and forgive financial obligations as Dr. Glenn had done towards the man who afterwards slew him. On the 9th inst., it appears that Miller came to the table at Glenn's ranch under the influence of liquor, when Glenn chidcd him, remarking, " You are drunk again, Miller," to which the latter replied with expressions of abuse and villification, when the doctor struck him with his fist. Miller brooded over this castigation, nursing his vengeance and awaiting the hour for retribution. He went to Chico to have his gun fixed, and then carried it around, ostensibly for the purpose of raffling it. At 2 o'clock in the afternoon of the day of the murder, Dr. Glenn went to the stable, about fifty yards from the hotel, to order his team. Miller at this time was standing on the porch with his gun in his hands. Dr. Glenn passed by him, and when some twelve or fifteen feet from him, stopped and turned his head slightly to look at some horses going by on the road. At this instant Miller raised his gun and fired. Most of the charge of buckshot entered his head above the ear, and he fell, striking a billiard table that was on the porch. He died the same night about 10 o'clock. As soon as he fired, Miller started to run in the direction of the store, up the river, and then struck out across the fields in the direction of Willows. R. M. Cochran, the superintendent of the farm, started in pursuit in a buggy and ordered Miller to drop his gun, which order was disregarded. Cochran then fired a shot from his repeating rifle alongside of him, and told Miller that if he did not halt and lay down his gun he would hit him the next time he fired, and, this command being disregarded, he fired and hit him on the leg. At this Miller fell, and on Cochran making him throw his gun from him, he went up to him and captured him. He was immediately placed in a wagon, conveyed to Willows, and delivered over to the authorities. Once arrived there, Constable Ayres, of Willows, knowing the popularity of Dr. Glenn with his men and with the community, concluded to bring Miller to the county seat before a mob could be organized to lynch him. (For biography of Dr. Glenn see elsewhere.)
Colusa County : its history traced from a state of nature through the early period of
settlement and development to the present.
Orland California 1891
Justus H Rogers
Biographical Sketches, Chapter 12 Colusa County
Page 387-389,196-198
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