Pacific Valley

PACIFIC VALLEY

By Belinda Brown

May 20, 1941

About four miles south of Cone Peak and 17 miles west of the old town of Jolon on the coast of Monterey County there is a shelf of land about four miles and a half mile wide.

A man named Cox lived there as early as 1850, probably the first white man to venture into this wilderness, giving to the place the name of “Cox’ s Hoise.

Nineteen years later, in September 1869, William Lucas Plaskett led the family to this place to settle.

He named the spot Pacific Valley, and it has since been called by that name.

A year before, Mr. Plaskett had left Fresno in search of a haven in which he could live independently, feeling that the San Joaquin County was becoming “too thickly settled ’ So in July 1869, Mr: Plaskett and family with cattle, horses, wagons and all their possessions, left Fresno and trekked across the valley, over the Pacheco Pass and up the fertile Salinas Valley which was then yellow with wild mustard.

They then crossed the coast ridge over an old trail made by the mission Indians from Mission San Antonio, and reached the coast in September: Curnell H. Mansfield;, who had filed a homestead on the north side of Pruitt Creek in 1864, then owned land ascending from the Secco to the of the San Lucia Mountain.

Pruitt Creek was named for another early settler: Jim Pruitt (James L. Pruitt) who had filed on government land and built a cabin on the north side of the creek, and engaged in cattle raising: He later sold out to Mr. Mansfield: Every foot of Pacific Valley was covered with chappal (chaparral) Wild lilac grew to the dimensions of a tree in that rich wild climate.

A small sp—(hard to read); the Plasketts built rude cabins and spent the next winter while the men started a saw mill on Plaskett Creek From the redwood trees growing in the canyon they sawed lumber and built two colonial homes furnishing each completely with homemade furniture.

The Plasketts were adapt at carpentry and wood working: While living in the cabin that first winter the younger children dared not venture far from camp: No wild animals attacked.

Bear; deer; wolves, red foxes inhabited the thicket, and at night the eerie cry of the coyote sent the little tots scurrying to their mother’ $s side.

Often scary bright eyes of animals could be seen peering through the cracks in the walls.

After a few years of clearing fields the entire valley was tillable and the soil s0 fertile any crop could be raised.

All kinds of vegetables were grown the year round, and in that tropical belt it was not unusual to see pepper plants several years old: The house occupied by the elder Plaskett was always referred to as “The House It is still standing but the Roosevelt Highway destroyed the home of the oldest son Byron Plaskett and his wife.

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Near the house an orchard was planted.

It grew and bore abundantly and some of the trees can still be seen struggling to live even after years of neglect: Cattle, horses, sheep and were raised.

Food was plentiful and during the dry year of 1898, when thousands of cattle perished elsewhere, many ranchers from “outside” brought stock to Pacific Valley to pasture.

supplies were packed in over the old trail.

The nearest town was Soledad, where the railroad ended.

Stock was driven there to sell, four to five days being required to make the long drive.

Later some supplies could be purchased at Lowe’s Station, at the foot of the Jolon Grade, where George Gamboa now lives.

Here a flour mill and a store were operated.

Even later the Plasketts arranged to charter a boat from San Francisco once a year: Supplies for the entire community would be brought there, consisting of barrels of flour and sugar, stapes of vast quantities, bolts of calico, and flannel When the boat arrived, great excitement prevailed. Everyone went the beach during the unloading at a little cove at the mouth of Plaskett Creek.

The head of each family was there with his ‘list: Much comparison of lists and a little confusion was experienced before each family’ $ supplies were separated and piled apart The old church at Jolon was built by Reason Plaskett in 1879(2) It is still in fairly condition and is used as a chapel for the soldiers at the Hunter Liggett Military Reservation.

In 1893 the Gorda Post Office was established with Byron Plaskett as post master: He carried the mail from Jolon to Gorda twice a week, rain or sleet o snow.

The women of the Valley were proficient in the ways of pioneer life.

Excellent cooks and bread makers, they were ever ready to welcome a passing traveler: The (can’t read) of Sarah Plaskett became a symbol of kindly hospitability, and the younger girls following in her wake; And although worked hard, not all of life was a drudgery, for there were frequent fish fries on the beach and picnics in the (can’t read) canyon.

Often at branding time the women rode to the camp and enjoyed a holiday with the cowboys At first a private school was made inland, but soon the Pacific Valley Public School was established. An unusually high order of social life prevailed. A band was organized and a literary club formed: Nearly all the Plaskett boys married school teachers There was a story6 told of how the trail was so perilous that once in the valley, the teachers married and settled down rather than venture out over the perilous trail Many strange events took place in the early The grizzly bear was most feared of all the animals: No one ventured far without his trusty muzzle loading rifle.

One time three of the older boys, riding home from tending cattle, came upon a grizzly with two half grown cubs.

killed the cubs but the old bear could not be stopped by bullets, hogs good they again.

years.

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charging at them with fierce growls of rage, the infuriated beast struck terror in the hearts of the who fired their last load from their guns and fled home ward to get help.

Returning with all the men available; found the huge body of the mother bear not far from where had last seen her.

On top of the mountain a grizzly once killed a full grown cow on the trail under a The ranchers built a scaffold and tied it to the branches of the tree for a hiding place.

There waited at night for the bear to return and consume his feast. After dark the bear came and started eating the carcass of the cow.

Someone aimed and fired out in to the darkness, the bullet hit the rope which held the scaffold, causing both scaffold and men to fall on of the bear: It was hard to tell which was more frightened as the bear left with much excitement through the branches for safety while the men untangled themselves and went home.

During the Plaskett’s Occupation of the valley more than 10 children were born, all of whom grew up healthy and happy.

It was only natural that a strong feeling of clanship existed in this isolated community.

Many outsiders found their way to Pacific Valley.

Alice Eastwood, the noted Herbalist went there to gather material for her books, and William Hurst (Hearst) spent some time there on his journey up the coast while writing “California Coast Trails after this the land of Pacific Valley was sold and the slowly lost families scattered.

William and Sarah moved to Salinas in 1896 to enjoy their fruitful last years making many friends and have retained their normal mental directness to the last.

William died in 1909 at the age of 94 and his wife lived to be 96, passing away in 1923.

Byron Plaskett was stricken with paralysis and died in 1911, while his wife, Martha, lived until 1931.

After the valley had reached the peak of development into a progressive and prosperous community, the people gradually drifted away and the land was sold to a corporation.

The Roosevelt Highway was built making even further changes and now the region is becoming a of the National Defense Dept: informing the author of 1941 some military operations will be held on the Hunter Liggett Reservation at Jolon and it is possible that some of the military problems and mock warfare will extend over the coast and into the peaceful Pacific Valley.

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