079: Soldiers' Wives in Early California Part 1 | April Farnham, Ethnohistorian

In this episode, I interview April Farham, who shares her fascinating work on the lives of early California settlers, specifically indigenous and Mestiza women. April discusses her personal journey into historical research that focuses on California's frontier in the 18th and 19th centuries. She elaborates on her work at the Maidu Indian Museum and her passion for unraveling the stories behind the extensive basket collections and their connection to indigenous women. The conversation also touches on the genealogical and historical intersections revealed through archival research and the impact of mixed ancestry on California's cultural landscape.

00:00 Introduction to the Interview with April Farham
02:14 April's Background and Early Career
06:54 Exploring the State Indian Museum Collections
12:07 Graduate Studies and Research Focus Shift
19:37 Discovering the Juarez Family History
32:45 Ethnohistorical Research and Archival Work

Transcript

0:00

I am really excited to present the first half of my interview with my guest, April Farham. April is doing some really interesting things about telling the stories. Of the early California settlers, especially women on the California frontier and in particular, uh, some women whose ancestry was both indigenous and Spanish, and how that played out in their lives, in the lives of their descendants. In fact, uh, April's work dovetails really well and is connected to the work that, uh, Jennifer Lucido has been doing. If you recall, I spoke to Jennifer in episode 45 of the podcast, and toward the end of July of 2024. Basically, uh, this, this really interesting project of unearthing these genealogical stories, connecting the family trees, connecting the different kin groups, and then building out the stories of these people in particular, uh, like I said in particular. Women of mixed ancestry and how their lives and the lives of their descendants played out in Alt California. So, like I mentioned, this first part, we're gonna talk about, um, April's background, how she got into her research and the things that, um, are getting her excited about digging into California history. And then. The next episode will be the second half of my interview with her full disclosure. April has, um, given me the honor of helping her with translations and transcriptions of some of these old Spanish documents that. There are still tons of them in the archives in California that need to be revealed. So I'm, I'm happy to be able to, uh, cooperate with her in her research. So without further ado, part one of my interview with April Farnam.

Damian Bacich: 2:14

April, thanks so much for taking the time to come on this podcast and tell us about really interesting research that you're doing. I've, as you know, uh, we know each other and I've been to a number of your talks, especially about how, Indigenous Mestiza, uh, African descendant as the California frontier, created lives, families, et cetera, all throughout, um, the, the late 19th, uh, late 18th century and 19th century. And so I'd love if you could talk to us a little bit more about that and the cool things you're doing and, uh, you know, maybe, maybe start a little bit by talking about who you are and, and, uh, yourself and your interests and all that, and how you got into this topic.

April Farnham: 3:13

Sure. Uh, thank you Damien. Um, it's actually quite a pleasure to be on your show. So I, I've been listening to you for a long time. Um, so I primarily grew up in Sacramento, um, and, um, you know, spent a lot of summers going to different state parks, visiting museums, missions. Um, um, I got my under graduate degrees at Sacramento State, uh, CSU Sacramento. Uh, originally I was actually in environmental science. Um, that was my first career. Um, didn't go back until about 10 years later. Um, and I decided to get a, a bachelor's degree in history, but with a focus in anthropology and Native American studies. Um, and then, uh, you know, from there with, with that, uh, background and knowledge, um, spent a little time working for the Madu Indian Museum in Roseville. Uh, I also did some, um, contract work, consulting work for the Californian Inherited Center and the West Sacramento Historical Society. Um, and then, uh, in 2014, our family, we moved to Napa Valley. Uh, was still raising my son at the time, but finally decided to go back to school. Um. And get my graduate degree, my master's degree in history from Sonoma State University. And again, with an emphasis on um, what, uh, you know, I call California Ethno history, really focusing on, you know, interactions and between, uh, indigenous peoples, uh, and immigrants in different colonial periods, Spanish, Mexican, and American. Um, uh, and so one thing kind of led to another and I got involved in a couple projects, um, associated with, um, the, uh, Sonoma State Historic Park, um, and their nonprofit group, which is Sonoma, Petaluma Parks. And, uh, yeah, so I mean, I, you know, my background I. Uh, because of the, the experience I had working, I would say specifically at the, um, state and museum, uh, and also working with their basket collections in their warehouse. Um, it really got me interested in, um, particularly stories about different indigenous women basket makers and their histories here in California. Um, and, um, uh, again, my work, uh, particularly there was a book that I worked on with, uh, Brian Bibby, um, called Essential Art. And it was essentially a, um, catalog book of the basket collection at the Californian Heritage Center, um, or main warehouse. Um, my contribution was writing a history of the state and museum. Um, but again, just kind of getting to know some of those, uh, working with some of the baskets, I, I got to know some of the individual stories of the women. Um, and uh, so I've just continued that work. You know, everything I do now, my research, um, my writing presentations I do on the side also informs, um, the interpretation that I do, uh, as an employee with California State Parks, uh, at Sonoma State Historic Park.

Damian Bacich: 6:46

That's right. So you, you are still employed with the state parks over at Sonoma and it's interesting

April Farnham: 6:53

Mm-hmm.

Damian Bacich: 6:54

how you've, you started out, uh, there in Sacramento, which I think a lot of people don't know or haven't visited, the State Indian museum. It's an interesting place and I didn't know about, um, collections they have. Can you tell us just before we get into more recent stuff, um, a little bit about those collections?

April Farnham: 7:18

Yeah. Um, so at the time when, this was about 10, you know, 12 years ago when I was working directly with, with the material there, um, uh, they have, I, I believe over 5,000, um, you know, baskets and other ethnographic, uh, objects, um, uh, connected to, um, uh, you know, diff, you know, California Indian peoples, um, uh, they're, it, the collection was amassed over time. I sent, I think since the 1930s, from what I recollect from my research, um, started with a curator there named Benjamin Hathaway. Uh, who at the time was, um, visiting different tribal rancherias. I. Collecting baskets. Um, and over time that institution, you know, that that institution really grew. Um, and so there, there, these baskets have been donated from various, uh, you know, uh, different individuals. Um, and, uh, you know, they're, they're loaned out often to different, uh, uh, small museums or larger museums. So when I was working at the Madu in museum, uh, we were able to loan a few of their baskets, um, uh, to, to do a display and kind of an interpretive exhibit on madu basketry specifically. Um, but the, the baskets represent a wide range of cultural and, um, you know, ethnographic, um, groups throughout California. Um, it's really an amazing collection and I feel very fortunate that I had the opportunity to, to work with those baskets.

Damian Bacich: 8:58

You tell us a little bit about the Indian Museum because I don't think a lot of people know about that place

April Farnham: 9:05

Yeah,

Damian Bacich: 9:05

you live in the Sacramento area.

April Farnham: 9:10

sure. I'd be happy to. Um, so it, it, it turned, it started out as a kind of more of an interpretive center, uh, small museum. It, it's, uh, now a fully accredited, uh, uh, museum, uh, run by the city of Roseville. Um, uh, uh, you know, it, it's not too far of a drive from downtown Sacramento. I'd say maybe 20, 30 minutes. Um, my, uh, my role there between about 2009 to 2013, give or take, I was the collections manager. I also did some interpretation there for some of the, um, school programs, uh, school outreach programs, um. And I, I think, you know, at the time, their hours, they had a few, you know, they were open during the week, uh, uh, a little more often. I think the hours have been reduced to just weekend hours. Now, Saturday, Sundays, um, I don't remember the particulars, but you can actually Google my Doing Museum. And, um, and, uh, I'm proud to say that, uh, I worked on some of those permanent exhibits. Um, the design of the museum is, uh, uh, was loosely based on a Maidu roundhouse. Um, and it has two stories, an upper gallery that features, um, contemporary, uh, native artwork. Uh, and then the downstairs, um, have all the permanent exhibits that talk about the different, uh, time periods, um, affect, you know, uh, that the mighty experience, um, in terms of their, uh, you know, the colonization of California and, and. Whatnot. So, uh, it's, it's, it's really a gem. I, I would say, and, uh, highly recommend. I think they still offer, you know, guided hikes. Um, there's a couple acres there, and it's actually part of a national historic landmark site. Um, uh, the village is, I remember dates back close to 7,000 years old in terms of, um, you know, habitation people that were there living there. Um, they have, uh, petroglyphs, uh, that you can see, uh, rock art. Um, so it's, it's really an amazing site.

Damian Bacich: 11:33

I've been there a number of times. I didn't know that you worked on those exhibits. They're really nice. So, uh, that's good to know. The

April Farnham: 11:40

Thank you.

Damian Bacich: 11:41

I'll, I'll remember that. And it's a nice place. And I agree. In addition to the museum, the, the area outside where you can see the petroglyphs is, is really interesting and, and unusual. And like you say, it's a gym. It's there, there's not a lot of places like that, um, where you can, where you can experience that kind of, um, history and especially if it goes back to at least 7,000 years.

April Farnham: 12:06

Mm-hmm.

Damian Bacich: 12:08

So you, uh, so yeah, you are over in, in Sonoma now and you continued your research. Um, and like I said, I've, I've had the chance to hear some of your talks and I'd like. you can tell us a little bit more about, um, the type of things that you moved into in terms of being over on that side of, you know, the, the region I.

April Farnham: 12:35

Yeah. Um, I'll, I'll have to say, I'm kind of ashamed to say when I first moved here, you know, when, uh, growing up in Sacramento, uh, even in college, we're so inundated with really a focus on, you know, Goldrich history. And, and there, you know, I, I did specifically focus on native history and, and my college studies. So I did have some understanding of, you know, uh, California, uh, early history and anthropology. But, um. Because the focus is so much on John Sutter. Right. And, and the Gold Rush, um, uh, didn't know a whole lot about, uh, you know, for example, general Vallejo, uh, Maria Ojo or, um, uh, the Rancho period. Um, hadn't really studied, you know, many of the Californias of that time period. Um, had a little bit exposure to the history of the missions, but not like an in-depth, I wouldn't say any kind of in-depth, um, you know, reading of, um, you know, primary source material on the missions either from, you know, Padres or um, uh, later immigrants that were coming in and making observations about what they saw. Um, until I moved here to Napa, uh, and, um, I had started going to graduate school at Sonoma State and you know, there realized that, uh. You know, here, I mean, it's the, the focus shifts entirely, um, or quite dramatically, I would say, to an emphasis on right. The, the Mexican period of California. And, um, the, uh, just the fact that, you know, there are so many sites in Sonoma County, such as, um, you know, Petaluma, Adobe State Park General, Vallejos, Rancho, uh, mission San Francisco, Solano, um, and, you know, other Adobe sites or historic sites connected to the, uh, the Mexican period. Um, that, uh, really that, that became a new focus of research for me. And then I, I started to kind of connect the dots, so to speak, with, uh, things I had read previously associated with these basket collections, right. That, uh, I had been studying in Sacramento and realizing that, um. You know, some of these basket collections, uh, were coming from right, or had been handed down from these Rancho owners, uh, either the, the, the Dawns, the, the soldiers or their wives. And, um, uh, so then I became really fascinated with stories of, um, uh, the Donia, uh, you know, women wives of the soldiers who own Ranchos out here. Um, not just, uh, uh, you know, Venetia Viejo, um, Mariano's wife, but, uh, for example Maria Creo, uh, who is, you know, considered the founder of Santa Rosa because she was granted a very large land grant out there. Um, and then also became very interested here in Napa we have, um, what we call the old Adobe I see Juarez, Adobe. And that was, um. One of the homes of Kai Juarez, who was a soldier of Mr. Vallejo, uh, served un under him, both at the Presidio in San Francisco and, um, in the barracks, uh, at um, Sonoma. And, um, you know, and, and through those different, the different research I was doing from my grad school work, I realized right there was definitely a theme here with, um, specifically with the women, um, the, the wives and, uh, how they came to end up being, you know, married to these fairly powerful men, uh, prominent men, uh, here in, um, you know, Sonoma and Napa and, uh, what it meant to them, right? Culturally, um, socially, economically. Um, how it impacted the native peoples that were still living in the area right at the time that like, mission San Francisco Solano was established, uh, up through secularization. Um, so yeah, that, you know, that's how I, I really, um, I think it wasn't until about 2017, 2018 that I, I literally started going down the rabbit hole, so to speak, with the, um, uh, looking at the early California population project database, the wonderful resource of all the, uh, you know, mission, um, baptism, marriage and death records. Um, and, um, just, just finding like incredible stories, um, being told just through those records alone, right. Just through those, um. Uh, uh, records that, you know, thankfully were digitized and automated, and I know that was an incredible amount of work that put was put into that, but it's incredibly valuable to researchers such as myself, um,'cause we can off often not, we don't have the time or the means to right. Visit the archives in person, uh, and, and look at those, uh, actual documents in person. So.

Damian Bacich: 18:12

to be able to do a search a name or a date or a particular mission or what have you is, is just invaluable. That that database is an incredible resource. I, I can't imagine what it must have been like. Well, I can't imagine a little bit what it must have been like to, to work. With those, kind of, those records, before that database existed, you had to go the different archives and sort of, you know, try and pluck a needle out of a haystack. It's, it's an amazing database. I.

April Farnham: 18:49

Right. It really is. Um, so, I mean, you know, and it helped me get through graduate school.'cause again, my, my son was still in, uh, high school and I, I didn't have the time or means to visit a lot of the archive. I did visit a few, um, I went down to the California Historical Society Archives in San Francisco. Um. And to look at primary source material there. Um, I spent a little time in the archives at the Sonoma Barracks. This is prior to my, um, acquiring a position there with state parks. Um, but, uh, for the most part, right, it was these digitized records and that database that really, um, saw me through my master's work. Um, and ironically, so, uh, my master's thesis is actually, uh, more on, um, Hawaiian immigrants, Kamali immigrants who came here, uh, just before the Gold Rush as part of the he and tallow industry. And then through the Gold Rush. And, um, it, again, it had a direct connection to my work at the Maidu Museum, um, because some of them settled down along the Sacramento River and had families with some of the indigenous Maidu women, uh, who are, um. You know, again, living and surviving through a fairly chaotic, tumultuous time. Um, and just trying to, you know, preserve their culture and, and survive, um, economically. And, um, that's where these Hawaiian immigrants really, um, come into that story.

Damian Bacich: 20:31

Oh,

April Farnham: 20:31

Um,

Damian Bacich: 20:32

interesting. I'm not familiar with that. I mean, I knew that there were um, Kanaka, as they call them, right on the, those ships coming, those, uh, those trading ships coming down the coast. But I had, I didn't know about them settling in the Sacramento Valley. That's interesting.

April Farnham: 20:50

yeah, it's, it's a little known story. It, it, it ties into, you know, I won't go into the politics, but there are some rancherias in and around Sacramento and up in, um, Placerville Auburn, that area, um, that, you know, the, the peoples have both Hawaiian and. Uh, indigenous descent, um, and are very proud of that heritage. And, and, um, still, you know, culturally, you know, they practice both, uh, you know, sides, you know, in terms of the California, uh, indigenous culture and, you know, some, uh, the traditions of the Hawaiian culture and, um, like the dances and songs and, um, and so, but it really kind of opened my eyes to some of the other, um, literature and the sources that were out there, particularly for, um, places like, uh, Petaluma, Adobe Park, um, Fort Ross, um, you know, just locally how, uh, you know, the sources I was using to tell that story could be used to maybe flesh out the nuances of some of the more, you know, local stories. Um. Such as like the Juarez, Adobe, right. And that family, uh, and, and um, their connections right to the indigenous peoples here, um, in Southern Napa Valley, um, as well as in Sonoma as well, some of the other Rancho owners and, and, um, like Maria Creo and how they had connections as well.

Damian Bacich: 22:34

You know, it's funny, growing up in the Napa Valley, um, I remember the old Adobe restaurant, right? And I had no idea that it was a historical. Site and then it was connected to this longstanding family there, uh, the Juarez family in, in Napa. I just, you know, I was a teenager so I wasn't paying much attention, but, um, that one of the oldest, uh, Adobe buildings in Northern California?

April Farnham: 23:04

It is, yeah. Um, I. So it, uh, I think it dates around 1839 or so. The, the Rancho Land Grant that, um, Kayana Juarez received. It wasn't official until 1840, is my understanding. Um, very large 8,000 acre, uh, plus grant called a Rancho Tuka. Um, and that word itself, right, the name comes from one of these, uh, uh, Lin Southern Wind Toon villages that existed in the area. Um, and, um, so that, that home, uh, it's still there. Like you said. It's a, a very historic landmark here in Napa, right off of Soft School Road. And, um, it's seen different restaurants come and go. Uh, the latest one is Lat Bakery. They're doing very well. And it was fully restored, you know, when they, uh, before they moved in this, this last tenant, um, uh, there was a buyer who, um, just went in and con completely restored the Adobe, um, and, uh, you know, uh, to, to structure it and make it a little more integrous, I guess, and, um, hold up better over time. Uh, but I know they found some extraordinary artifacts, um, in re flooring, the, the, um, the building and, you know, some of the other, uh, when they had to do some repairs to the walls, that made a lot of different discoveries and a lot of that material, uh, that information went to both the, um, Napa Valley Museum and the Napa Valley histor, Napa County Historical Society.

Damian Bacich: 24:50

That's great. So wonderful. So, um, so yeah, tell us, tell us a little bit more then about the work you've been doing, um, with these women, uh, Maria Juarez and, and her descendants and ancestors and, what you're learning and discovering.

April Farnham: 25:13

Sure. So, um,'cause I said I, I think this story goes all the way back to again, when I was, uh, managing those or kind of, uh, uh, working with those baskets, uh, at the California State Heritage Center. Um, there, uh, uh, it was a great granddaughter of the Juez family that donated, uh, a few, uh, baskets, um, that both Maria and Cayetano had collected in their time here, uh, on Rancho Tuka. Um, and, um, these were mostly patwin baskets, maybe some wao. And, um, that story just always intrigued me because, you know, Brian wrote in his book Essential Art that, um, Maria specifically, he, he was, he had started this kinda genealogical research himself, um, was, uh, one quarter alone, uh, uh, through her mother and grandmother. And so I was very intrigued by that. Um, and when I moved here, um, I, uh, I, when I was working for a time for the Napa Valley Museum as an educator, um, I hooked up with, uh, Ralph Shanks, another well-known, um, baskets, native Basket scholar. And, um, and I discovered in my research, I just, I'm always researching this. I, it's in my blood. I just, I can't help. I just, I, I always like to find new stories. Um. Was doing research for the Napa Valley Museum at the, uh, Napa County Historical Society. And I came across the, uh, memoirs of, um, it was one of the great granddaughters of the, uh, Cayetano Juarez. Uh, she was the sister of this woman, Dolores Unger, who had donated the baskets to the California, uh, state parks. This sister, her name was Vivian Juárez, Vivian Rose Juarez. Um, she wrote a book called, or wrote a family book called the, uh, fast, uh, passed as a father of president I, I believe. And, um, and she, uh, this is 1970s, and she featured in the, this book, uh, a Sewing Basket that belonged to Maria Juarez. Right. And it told this specific story about this, uh, pat one, uh, native woman who had given. And her name was Juanita. That's all we know. That's, that's what's in the book. Uh, had given the sewing basket to Maria Juarez as a present, uh, literally a gift for some of the work that Maria had been doing within the native community. Um, Maria, according to, uh, this book, she was a ra, um, uh, a healer, right? Um, uh, she had learned from her mother and her grandmother, um, some of the, uh, traditional eth and botanical, um, ways of, of treating illnesses. My guess is, it doesn't actually say in this book, but there was a, uh, smallpox epidemic that hit the native community here pretty hard, uh, in around 1837. 1838. And I think Maria was involved in helping, um, treat some of the, um. The women and children in Napa Valley. Um, she also understood the language she taught herself, how even though she couldn't, uh, read or write, um, Maria was multilingual. So, um, most definitely spoke Spanish, but also, uh, it's documented that she knew the local, uh, pat one language. Um, the people call themselves the village, understand it's called tuka, but the people call themselves Ulka or Ulka, and that was the language that Maria learn. And she taught her children as well this language. And so, um, you know, they, they had this family seemed to have a very close relationship with the local, uh, native indigenous community here in Napa. Um, I apologize if I forget where I was going with all this, but, um, just that, um. You know, uh, I kept peeling away layers of the story. One thing that always bothered me was, um, you know, some of the local sources here were saying that, uh, uh, Maria and, and still to this day, so the, the kind of overcoming this, this, this stereotype somewhat was that Maria was, um, you know, full blown Spanish, Mexican did not have any kind of mesa heritage whatsoever. That she was part of this, um, you know, colonial period where, um, Mexican Dons and Donya were, you know, coming in and claiming land and, uh, you know, taking advantage of local native communities. But, um, again, my research was confirming with what Brian had already started, and that was the mission. Records prove. Right, that she is a direct descendant of, um, uh, uh, uh, these, uh, indigenous women in Monterey that were marrying or being married to, uh, Spanish and Mestizo soldiers, right in the early part of the mission period, particularly at Mission Carmel. And that, um, that heritage, that knowledge, it had been passed down from her. So her grandmother was Ana, uh, Maria, right? And then she, uh, she had a mother Maria Gerra, and then her, her herself, right? Maria Juarez. But her nickname was Viviana after her grandmother. Um, for a good reason, right? Because in, in my opinion, it was, you know, the, the mothers, the maternal line. They were very proud of the fact that, um, you know, the descendant from this, uh, uh, Alon woman. Who had married a soldier, like, I think she was age 12 or 13 when she married in 1786. Um, so like I said, I kept, uh, it, this took some time for me. This didn't happen all overnight. Um, it, it started when we first moved here to Napa and then I, I kept reading a little bit more from different sources, you know, and putting these different stories together to get a fuller picture of what was happening here with the, the Juárez family. Um, and up until right now, even, I'm still, you know, with your help, uh, uh, translating material, um, Spanish script letters from the archives to, to understand maybe how Cayetano was, um, influenced and helped by his wife's knowledge, right, of this indigenous world. Um, and how it affected his relationship with, um, like the Vallejo family and, and his activities as a soldier.

Damian Bacich: 32:46

You know, what you say makes me think of two things. First of all, how the type of work of digging around in the archives and going back into the original language documents really helps both. right? It helps clarify historical events and people and, and situations, but it also helps clarify, uh, genealogy as well, right? So you can find that, that interface of genealogy and history, which I really find fascinating because you, you see how family connections are so important, and yet they're often really below the surface. They're not, they're not evident to the world. And sometimes exactly the, um, because of the situation we find ourselves in, with, with the way, you know, California was. Was annexed pretty quickly in a couple of years, and then things changed very fast that, that people have to do a lot of work to recover their history. And then secondly, the thing you mentioned about how this has a work of, of years, that sometimes it's, you can't just go and do research and find your answers. Sometimes it's over time letting something percolate and certain connections emerge between one thing you've seen here one thing you've seen over there. And then the, picture starts to, to take shape maybe in a way that you didn't expect when you started out. Do you, do you find that to be true yourself?

April Farnham: 34:39

Absolutely. Um, absolutely, and that's what I really enjoy about calling myself an ethno historian is, you know, we're, we're trained to, um, and I've had some very great professors, uh, uh, train me very well on this. And, you know, uh, looking at different sources, you know, from, you know, anthropological literature, archeology, um, you know, I mentioned the museum collections, the baskets, um, oral histories. Um. Letters, diaries, of course, you know, the, the paper trail left, um, by, you know, different written sources. Um, and, um, and it's, it's the whole of that, right? Looking at it from all these different perspectives and angles that, um, is what motivates me to, uh, uh, dig deeper, right? And, and I keep, like I said, I keep finding these new details, um, by looking at it from different perspectives. Um, and, uh, yeah, so now I'm, I'm really focused on the archival research, particularly at the Santa Barbara Mission Archives there. And, um, wishing I had a little more, uh, training in Spanish, uh, um, you know, translation or early Spanish script. But, um, um, it's just, you know, takes time.

36:20

This is the California Frontier Show. If you would like to know more about the California Frontier Project, visit California frontier.net. If you would like to support the show, scroll down in the show notes and click support the show. Then be sure to tell all your friends about the podcast. If you would like to connect with me, the host, send me an email at damien@californiafrontier.net.