| Sources |
- [S100] Ancestry.com, 1860 United States Federal Census, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2009;), Year: 1860; Census Place: Township 1, Mariposa, California; Roll: M653_60; Page: 650; Family History Library Film: 803060.
- [S34] Ancestry.com, Find a Grave, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2012;).
- [S18] Ancestry.com, 1850 United States Federal Census, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Lehi, UT, USA; Date: 2009;), Year: 1850; Census Place: Saline District, Saline, Arkansas; Roll: M432_30; Page: 121B; Image: 245.
- [S30] Ancestry.com, 1920 United States Federal Census, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2010;), Year: 1920; Census Place: Township 3, Mariposa, California; Roll: T625_101; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 39.
- [S1077] Ancestry.com, California, Death Index, 1905-1939, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2013;).
- [S41] Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1880 United States Federal Census, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Lehi, UT, USA; Date: 2010;), Year: 1880; Census Place: Township 1, Mariposa, California; Roll: 68; Page: 172D; Enumeration District: 040.
- [S119] Ancestry.com, 1870 United States Federal Census, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2009;), Year: 1870; Census Place: Township 1, Fresno, California; Roll: M593_72; Page: 149B; Family History Library Film: 545571.
- [S230] Ancestry.com, U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2011;).
- [S2079] History of the Cathey Family, The Cathey Family and their Descendants, Tom Hilk, Mariposa County History and Genealogy Research, 9 May 2001.
Andrew Dever Cathey, Daniel his son, and son in-law Benjamin Wills came to
California in 1849. After taking a good look around, they found California to
their liking. Andrew and Benjamin returned to Arkansas. In 1852, they started
on their trip to California from Fort Smith, Arkansas, with a wagon train of
about 20 wagons. Most of the people on the original wagon train were related in
one way or another. Andrew was elected Captain of the wagons train, and as they
traveled more wagons joined them.
We are very lucky to have part of a journal done by John Boyd Hamond and stories
by Sarah Cathey and Nathan (Nat) Cathey. Sarah was a young girl of about 10
when the family left Arkansas, and she had to walk most of the way to
California. In her story she was intrigued by all the discarded items left by
parties that had past over they trail before them. One item she picked up was a
like new brass candle stick, which she carried to California.
Nat, who was 18, had the job of driving a wagon pulled by a team of oxen. In
his story he tells about seeing a wagon where the Oatman family were massacred
by Indians. All were killed, except two little girls who were captured by the
Indians and a little boy who was left for dead. One of the girls died in
captivity and the other was sold to the Mohaves. The boy that survived was
instrumental in rescuing his sister, and she later wrote a book about the
massacre.
He also tells about taking the wagons apart to make them into rafts, so they
could cross the Rio Grand, and then having to put them back together to continue
the journey.
One serious incident was when the party's water, which was stored in wooden
barrels began to get low. Orders were issued that no more water could be given
to the animals and that only one or two swallows could be given to people; then
only when there was a real need. It had been days upon days since a stream had
been crossed, and the trail they were on was through the middle of a huge
valley. The mountains were so far away they could not be seen through the haze.
In the middle of the next afternoon when nearly all had given up hope of finding
water, one of the teamsters at the head of the train suddenly noticed his oxen
raising there heads and sniffing the apparently dry air. All the other wagons
and loose stock followed the lead oxen team and after what seemed a long time,
the teamster could see a knoll at the top of a mound of big boulders resting
over a large rock basin almost full of fresh water, far more than enough to
refill all the barrels and to water the stock.
The family finally arrived at Indian Gulch after a 9 month journey, the Catheys
lived in tents and wagons for two years, selling milk from their herd and
working in the mines. Daniel Cathey, Andrews oldest son who stayed in California
when they returned to Arkansas, joined the family at Indian Gulch.
In the year 1854 Andrew and Benjamin Wills purchased the Louisiana Ranch from
George Evans and Jacob Hill for $1,500. The Louisiana Ranch was known as
Valleita (little valley), but after the purchase, it became Cathey's Valley.
The property was divide between Andrew Cathey and his son in-law Benjamin Wills.
Both men built their permanent homes there.
A little Genealogy of Andrew and Mary Cathey and some of their descendants.
Andrew Cathey was born 1804, in North Carolina, the son of Daniel Cathey and
Jemima Oliver Hyatt. Andrew married Mary Mariah Deaver in the year1828 in North
Carolina; they had eight children.
Mary Mariah was born in Illinois, the daughter of Nathaniel Deaver and Arabella
Jemima Gray, after her father died she was raised by her uncles families in
North Carolina. Her mother remarried and became one of the first white women in
Texas. The town of Brenham, Texas is on some of the land Mary's mother owned.
Andrew died in 1886 and Mary Mariah in 1892, both lived to be 81 years old and
they are buried in the Cathey's Valley Cemetery.
Their oldest child, Jemima Amanda married Benjamin Wills; they had 10 children.
George Carlisle married Usibbie Laird, Mary Frances married Hiram Cornett, Sarah
married Thomas R. Givens, Susan married Samuel Givens, Eva married Thomas
Givens Pool, a nephew of Thomas and Samuel; Virginia married Dr. Harvey
Castle, Sophronia married James Price; Jessie married Samuel Cornell and Emma
never married.
Daniel Cathey never married. Nathan Lucius Cathey married Mary Ann Wilkinson,
but they had no children. William Pearson Cathey married Louisa Duncan Palmer,
they had four children. Walter Scott of Jerseydale and Betty Cathey McRee of
Chowchilla are descendants of this line. Sarah Melvina married a cousin of
Benjamin Wills, James Wills; her second marriage was Joseph Thompson. She had
four children. Andrew McCurdy Cathey married Ellen Caroline Young, no children.
James Newton Cathey never married. John Wisenor Cathey never married, he died
at a very young age and he was the only child of Andrew and Mary Cathey to be
born in California. He might well have been the first child born in Cathey's
Valley, January 4, 1855.
In research of the Cathey Family and descendant I have found they owned a
considerable amount of Cathey's Valley. From the Bull Run Ranch to the
Houlihans place on Bear Creek with many ranches in-between. Andrew gave land
to the community for the School, Church and the Cemetery. The home place of
Andrew is stilled owned by a great-great-great granddaughter of Andrew Cathey,
Judy Westfall Huffman.
https://www.mariposaresearch.net/catheyhilk.html
- [S2079] History of the Cathey Family, The Captain Andrew Cathey Wagon Train and Some Genealogy of Participating and Related Families, JL Pritchard, ND; Mr Lee Irving Rowland, Mariposa County, California; Oakland Genealogical Library - 979.a A1 No. 46.
- [S2092] Obituary of Andrew Cathey - Oakland Tribune - 1929, (Name: Oakland Tribune; Location: Oakland, California; Date: 12 Dec 1929;), San Joaquin Pioneer Ranch, 84, Dies.
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30277498/oakland_tribune/?xid=637
- [S307] Ancestry.com, North Carolina, Marriage Index, 1741-2004, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2007;), Data Source: County Court Records at Waynesville, NC and FHL # 0418147 item 2.
- [S148] Ancestry.com, North Carolina, Marriage Records, 1741-2011, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2015;).
- [S2086] Ancestry.com, California, Pioneer and Immigrant Files, 1790-1950, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2011;), California State Library; Sacramento, California; Sacramento County, California, Pioneer Index File (1906-1934), A-Z; California History Room: MICROFILM 734; Roll Number: 41.
- [S2087] Wikipedia: Cathey's Valley, CA, Andrew Cathey and Cathey's Valley.
Cathey's Valley was named after Andrew D. Cathey, born in 1804 in Buncombe, North Carolina. He married Mary Deaver in 1828. Andrew was an adventurous young man in his early life. He decided to leave North Carolina on an exploratory trip to California with the Rowland-Hammond-Wills families from Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia. Their wagons loaded with household goods, they blazed a trail southward finally settling in Benton, Arkansas.
When the Gold Rush began in 1849, many men left their families in search of gold. Andrew, his son Daniel, and son-in-law Benjamin Wills, traveled by river boat from Fort Smith Arkansas to New Orleans and then took a ship to the Isthmus of Panama. In Panama, they boarded another ship bound for San Francisco; from there they caught a stage overland to Indian Gulch, Mariposa County, California.
In 1851, Andrew returned to Arkansas for his family. The Cathey-Wills, Rowland, Hammond, families organized a wagon train to California. Some of the families were those who had come from North Carolina earlier, leaving the Hammonds to start from Collegeville, Arkansas.
Andrew Cathey was appointed Captain of the Cathey-Wills wagon train. About twenty families traveled in covered wagons pulled by oxen. Horses were used to drive the approximate thirty head of cattle. It is said that only one steer was lost on the entire trip, and it was believed stolen by the Indians.
A trip journal shows that they traveled to Fort Smith, Arkansas where they re-grouped and purchased supplies for the trip that began on April 2nd. They traveled the southern route through Ft. Bliss near El Paso, Fort Tucson, Arizona, then began following the Gila River, an alternative to the Santa Fe Trail. As the wagon train moved across the land, more people joined them. Special duties were assigned to everyone. When they reached the Rio Grande, the wagon beds had to be taken apart and all bolt holes were tightly plugged with wooden pegs. The cracks were caulked with what they had available. Together, they formed a ferry-like raft to transport their families, their livestock, and household goods across the river. The Geary’s had started out with the Oatman family. The Oatman’s had been warned the Indians were on the warpath. the Geary's joined with the Cathey wagon train and later they came upon the aftermath of the Oatman Wagon Train. Upon seeing the burned wagons and recognizing Mrs. Oatmans clothing, Mrs Geary she was overcome with grief. Although the Cathey’s never encountered any hostility by the Indians.
The wagon party took only a very few days off to wash clothes and rest the oxen. It is said many of the women walked barefoot. One serious threat was when their water barrels began to get low, an order was given: no more water. People and animals were rationed only one or two sips when it was really needed. It had been days since they crossed a stream and mountains were still some distance away. After they had almost given up hope of finding water, one of the teamsmen suddenly noticed his oxen raised their heads and sniffed the air. In good judgment, the teamsman gave the oxen their reign. They immediately left the trail, and on top of a knoll, under a large rock was a basin full of fresh water!
After leaving Ft. Yuma, a Mrs. Warner, who had just buried a child enroute in New Mexico, gave birth to another child. The family continued on to El Monte, in southern California. The Wills family broke away from the wagon train. The remaining wagon party traveled over the Tejon Pass, across the San Joaquin Valley to just below Millertown, where they crossed over the San Joaquin River. They proceeded north, crossing over Mariposa Creek and through the McDermott place, up Bear Creek, and on to Indian Gulch where they arrived on October 27, 1852. It was a long, arduous journey of living in tents and wagons for two years and enduring countless hardships. They sold milk from their herd to the miners.
Cathey’s Valley Named After Andrew Cathey and his sons- In 1854, Andrew D. Cathey purchased a ranch from a Mr. Evans. Evans drove a hard bargain and Andrew finally agreed to pay him $1,500 for a quit-claim. This became Andrew and his wife Mary’s first, new, real home. Her sons lived at home for about ten years before they all became larger independent landowners. Cathey's Valley now bears his name.
Andrew Cathey soon became very involved in civic and political activities. He enjoyed exhibiting his abundant produce in the Merced Fair. A few of his trees and vines are still standing, although very sparse after nearly 150 years.
Andrew and his wife, Mary, very devout Christians, helped build a church, school and cemetery on land they donated.
Recently a large mariposite stone monument was built by many donors and volunteer labor in memory and honor of the Andrew D Cathey family and history of Cathey's Valley. The monument is located at the Cathey's Valley Park. We welcome vistors to stop and read the early history plaque and see the 1879 one room school house. The school house was restored by the Cathey's Valley Historical Society. [5]
The first Catheys Valley post office opened in 1879, and closed in 1881.[4] The Cathay post office opened in 1882, closed in 1918, re-opened in 1919, and changed its name to Catheys Valley in 1964.[4]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catheys_Valley,_California
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1844 - 1929 (84 years)
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