George P. Tebbetts
Encyclopedia
George Parrish Tebbetts (1828–January 9, 1909) was an American
politician
from California
.
Tebbetts was born in Concord, New Hampshire
and graduated from Dartmouth College
in 1848, where he studied medicine. With the California gold rush
he sailed to San Francisco. While crossing the Isthmus of Panama
, he cared for people suffering from yellow fever
.
He prospected with a Chinese boy on the American River
near Sacramento
and they extracted $70,000 in gold. The Chinese boy returned to China, but on a surprise visit, saw Tebbetts 45 years later.
Tebbetts arrived in San Diego around 1850 and was co-proprietor of the Exchange Hotel. He was elected Councilman for 1851–1852. In 1852 he became the third mayor of San Diego under U.S. rule. While mayor, a series of murders, horse thievery, and lawlessness caused locals to organize The Vigilantes to keep the peace. When Tebbetts' horse was stolen, the thieves were caught, paraded around town with nooses around their necks, and lynched. Federal officials investigated, but gave up when Tebbetts told them the entire town was involved.
In 1852 the city was bankrupt
. The city charter was abolished and city administration was performed by a Board of Trustees with no mayor, operated by the state.
Tebbetts later was member of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors during 1854-1864.
During an Indian war at Warner Springs in the early 1850s, Tebbetts served as ensign with Fitzgerald's Volunteers. The uprising was caused by a 1844 Mexican land grant that included Cupa, the village of the Cupeňo people, and surrounding homelands. During the war Tebbetts participated in a "Dual" with Joshua Bean
as a practical joke.
Tebbets ran the Exchange Hotel, with a partner Philip Hooff, from 1850 or 1851. The hotel was owned by his father-in-law Juan Rodríguez and sold in 1858. George Derby
immortalized them in his satirical book Phoenixiana referring to Tebbetts and Hoof as "Two bitts" (because of his small size) and "Cloven Hooff".
Tebbetts bought the San Luis Rey Ranch in the late 1850s. In the late 1860s he moved to Santa Barbara
where he bought the San Roque Ranch, was appointed Postmaster
, and started the Santa Barbara Press, Daily Independent, and Daily News.
Tebbetts married twice, with four children (Horace, Stella, John, and Maria Virginia De Los Reyes) from his first marriage with Delorez Rodríguez (Maria Delos Reyes Osuna Y Rodriguez), daughter of Juan Rodríguez, and three children from his second marriage to Mary Jones. Maria Tebbetts (Maria Virginia De Los Reyes Tebbetts) married Brigadier-General Frank Clarke Prescott N.G.C.
Later, he moved in with his son Nathan in San Francisco where he died 1909.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
from California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Tebbetts was born in Concord, New Hampshire
Concord, New Hampshire
The city of Concord is the capital of the state of New Hampshire in the United States. It is also the county seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2010 census, its population was 42,695....
and graduated from Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
in 1848, where he studied medicine. With the California gold rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
he sailed to San Francisco. While crossing the Isthmus of Panama
Isthmus of Panama
The Isthmus of Panama, also historically known as the Isthmus of Darien, is the narrow strip of land that lies between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, linking North and South America. It contains the country of Panama and the Panama Canal...
, he cared for people suffering from yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
.
He prospected with a Chinese boy on the American River
American River
The American River is a California watercourse noted as the site of Sutter's Mill, northwest of Placerville, California, where gold was found in 1848, leading to the California Gold Rush...
near Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
and they extracted $70,000 in gold. The Chinese boy returned to China, but on a surprise visit, saw Tebbetts 45 years later.
Tebbetts arrived in San Diego around 1850 and was co-proprietor of the Exchange Hotel. He was elected Councilman for 1851–1852. In 1852 he became the third mayor of San Diego under U.S. rule. While mayor, a series of murders, horse thievery, and lawlessness caused locals to organize The Vigilantes to keep the peace. When Tebbetts' horse was stolen, the thieves were caught, paraded around town with nooses around their necks, and lynched. Federal officials investigated, but gave up when Tebbetts told them the entire town was involved.
In 1852 the city was bankrupt
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
. The city charter was abolished and city administration was performed by a Board of Trustees with no mayor, operated by the state.
Tebbetts later was member of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors during 1854-1864.
During an Indian war at Warner Springs in the early 1850s, Tebbetts served as ensign with Fitzgerald's Volunteers. The uprising was caused by a 1844 Mexican land grant that included Cupa, the village of the Cupeňo people, and surrounding homelands. During the war Tebbetts participated in a "Dual" with Joshua Bean
Joshua Bean
Joshua H. Bean was an American political figure.Joshua Bean was born c. 1818 in Mason County, Kentucky to Phantly Roy Bean and his wife Anna Gore. His paternal grandparents were Benjamin Bean and his wife Fernetta Johnston, daughter of Archibald Johnston. Both grandparents were born in Virginia...
as a practical joke.
Tebbets ran the Exchange Hotel, with a partner Philip Hooff, from 1850 or 1851. The hotel was owned by his father-in-law Juan Rodríguez and sold in 1858. George Derby
George Derby
For the baseball player of the same name, see George Derby George Horatio Derby was an early California humorist. Derby used the pseudonym "John P. Squibob" and its variants "John Phoenix" and "Squibob." Derby served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Topographic Corps...
immortalized them in his satirical book Phoenixiana referring to Tebbetts and Hoof as "Two bitts" (because of his small size) and "Cloven Hooff".
Tebbetts bought the San Luis Rey Ranch in the late 1850s. In the late 1860s he moved to Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
where he bought the San Roque Ranch, was appointed Postmaster
Postmaster
A postmaster is the head of an individual post office. Postmistress is not used anymore in the United States, as the "master" component of the word refers to a person of authority and has no gender quality...
, and started the Santa Barbara Press, Daily Independent, and Daily News.
Tebbetts married twice, with four children (Horace, Stella, John, and Maria Virginia De Los Reyes) from his first marriage with Delorez Rodríguez (Maria Delos Reyes Osuna Y Rodriguez), daughter of Juan Rodríguez, and three children from his second marriage to Mary Jones. Maria Tebbetts (Maria Virginia De Los Reyes Tebbetts) married Brigadier-General Frank Clarke Prescott N.G.C.
Later, he moved in with his son Nathan in San Francisco where he died 1909.
See also
- "George Parrish Tebbetts", The Journal of San Diego History 9:2 (April 1963) by Orion Zink
- "The Exchange Hotel", The Journal of San Diego History 8:4 (October 1962) by Orion Zink
- "Tebbetts Genealogy" by Richard Prescott Bale