Jacob Leese
This article written and copyright 2012 by Will Johnson, wjhonson@aol.com, Professional Genealogist
One article in my series Sonoma County, California
The Taos fur trader Ceran St Vrain established a trading post at Abiquiu in the early 1800s managed by Jacob P Leese
"Jacob Primer Leese, born 19 Aug 1809 St Clairsville, Ohio, died 1893 San Francisco. Father Jacob Leese, mother Joanna Primer, spouse Rosalia Vallejo, married 1836 at Monterey. Previous residence Santa Fe, NM"
He established a trading post in 1836 where present-day San Francisco exists.
Built the first frame house in 1836 there on Montgomery Street (there were tents before)
Also in 1836 he was granted the Visitacion Rancho of 880 acres, now in San Mateo County. His wife Rosalia was the sister of Sonoma alcalde Mariano Vallejo.
He sold his trading post at Yerba Buena (San Francisco) to the Hudson's Bay Company in 1841, for them to use also as a trading post. It was situated on Montgomery Street between Clay and Sacramento.
He then moved to Sonoma near his brother-in-law Mariano, where Jacob was made Alcalde of Sonoma in 1841.
In 1843 he traded his two-league Rancho Canada de Guadalupe la Visitacion y Rodeo Viejo grant near San Francisco, for Robert Ridley's three-league Rancho Collayomi grant then in Sonoma County, but now in Lake County.
He was one of those, along with his brother-in-law General Mariano Vallejo, who were arrested and briefly incarcerated (at Sutter's Fort) during the Bear Flag Revolt of 1846
George Rock granted the 21,000 acre Rancho Guenoc then in Sonoma County, but now in Lake County, to neighbor Jacob P Leese by deed dated 13 Jan 1847 and witnessed by Richard Fowler and Andrew Hoeppner.
14 Oct 1848 Had a vineyard in Sonoma, H B Grinnell took a shipment of one thousand pounds, and sold them to the public, at the Clay street wharf in San Francisco
1850 Census of Monterey, California
Jacob Leese, 41, Ohio, his wife is 39, and they have six children
1852 Special California State Census
Monterey
Jacob P Leese, 43, White, Merchant, born Ohio, last residence New Mexico
1860 Census Monterey, Monterey County, California
Jacob P Leese, 54, Ohio; Rosalia, 46
IRS Tax Assessments 1863
Jacob P Leese, Monterey, Income of $900, tax $27
In 1863 the Mexican government granted him 18 million acres in Lower California (now called Baja California) if he would colonize it. For this he paid $100,000 with the stipulation that he would get half of it back if he failed to colonize it in the time constraints.
Jacob Primer Leese, Voter Registration 1888, age 81, born Ohio, Merchant, resident 17 Fourth Street, 2nd Floor, Room 6
Died 1 Feb 1892, age 82, Buried in Masonic Cemetery, San Francisco
Obituary in The Washington Post, Washington DC 3 Feb 1892
"Jacob Leese, the first white settler of California, died at San Francisco, aged eighty-two years. He went to California in 1833 and built the first house in San Francisco in 1836."