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From the Dorothy Mutnick Papers (continued)
as researched by Pamela Williams, from the Dorothy Mutnick Papers in the Moraga History Center Archives

George Yoakum Sues Gabriel Moraga...

A complaint of October 1871 Yoakum brought against Gabriel and Joaquin Moraga (y Sibrian) was soon dismissed as the evidence wholly failed to establish the charges. George Yoakum sued Gabriel Moraga last in May 1872.
Early in May taking cattle to the Moraga Valley Isaac was shot in the leg from ambush. An item copied by the Gazette from the Brooklyn Independent related. The editorial we called at his house ...found him in bed, but evidently not suffering much from his wound. While he was there Dr. Coleman of San Leandro came in. He concluded,
Of course it is well known here that this shooting has arisen out of the Moraga land troubles, of which the public have heard so much. While we deplore such dastardly outrages, we must confess Mr. Yoakum has displayed a daring that finds little sympathy in this community.

... and a Moraga sues another Yoakum

In 1873 Gomecinda Moraga sued Issac Yoakum for $10,000 damages from the assault because she had suffered some months from the injuries he inflicted. She was awarded $3000 in damages in November 1874.
At some time thereafter Isaac Yoakum left the area. He died at the age of 67 near Visalia in Tulare County in September 1877. He was ... on his way from San Luis Obispo to Fresno county, where he had recently taken up a homestead traveling alone in a light spring wagon, and was found a few days after starting, about fifteen miles this side of Visalia prostrated and in an entirely helpless condition...
He died soon after.

Horace Carpentier

In July 1879 the administrator of Isaac Yoakum's estate sold his interest in Rancho Laguna de los Palos Colorados to Horace W. Carpentier for $4000.
As late as 1880 some of the many Isaac Yoakum's lawsuits including those against John Pearson, Gabriel Moraga and S. A. Perkins, postponed many times, were finally continued by consent to be called up on 30 days notice.
George Yoakum's improvements on Interest in Moraga Grant were assessed at $500 in 1872 and $100 in 1874; he held another's mortgage for $700 in 1872 and notes of $1100 in 1874. The first year his furniture was assessed at $15 and one watch, the other, the furniture $100 and watches, $10. He had had varied and numerous livestock, grain, firearms, machinery, wagons and, harness but in 1874 there were only 2 cows and half a ton each of wheat and barley. Even though he still appeared in the Lafayette precinct in the 1879 great register he must have moved to Walnut Creek, perhaps before 1875 when he sold his 200 acres. His assessments there indicated that he had a meat market and became interested in real estate.

Deadly Ambush

In May 1878 William J. Yoakum and Thomas J. Yoakum granted everything they had inherited from their father, Isaac Yoakum, to a trustee so that $6000 could be raised for use and benefit.
William, one time a candidate for Sheriff of Kern County, and Thomas had a mining interest in Long Tom and after disputes and threats, Johnson and Tucker while in wagons--Tucker with his wife and Johnson with Mrs. Burdett -- were shot from their seats by parties hid behind rocks. Mrs. Tucker ran to where she could see up the canon, and at the trial testified that she saw the Yoakums running. Those named were not further identified. It was rumored that William admitted he had done the shooting and that Thomas had nothing to do with it.
In January Thomas was acquitted of murder by the jury in Bakersfield after an hours deliberation while in February (3/1) W. J. Yoakum was convicted of the murder of Johnson and sentenced to be executed on May 9. Judge D. S. Terry--the one who killed Broderick in a duel--was one of his attorneys and immediately appealed the sentence to the Supreme Court.

Yoakum Brothers Lynched

In response to the appeal a new trial and a change of venue to Fresno County was granted. Thomas was still confined presumably on an indictment for the other murder; his trial was to be in Fresno County too. Before they could be moved a masked mob of 30, 75 or more, according to witnesses, stormed the jail, secured the jailers, held the sheriff until the work was accomplished, using keys to enter the cells of the Yoakum brothers.
William Yoakum was chained by one foot to the floor and when the mob entered he fought for his life, determined to sell it as dearly as possible. He was shot several times, a rope was passed through the top of his cell.
After he was hung, the cell containing Thomas Yoakum was entered and he was suspended. (5/31)
In 1880 George Yoakum, 38, a butcher, was listed in Walnut Creek with his family; Rebecca, was 35, and both were natives of Missouri; Emma, 15, Nettie, 13, Mary, 11, George, 8, and Albert, 6, were all born in California. He was liquidating his business in the early eighties from his assessments. In 1894, Constable George Yoakum, who was shot and probably fatally wounded in Merced on election night had attempted to arrest the aggressor in a fight. The man then shot him. If he died as a result of his wounds, three of the sons of Isaac Yoakum, who himself lived violently, were killed by violence.

Walter Renwick

George Yoakum may have purchased that house because it was close to his sister, Martha and her husband, Walter Renwick. In 1870 Walter N. was 41 and a farmer; Martha, 36, was born in Tennessee; Mary E., 15, and Jane J.,13, both born in California and attending school. James Harris, 33, and Harker M. Grafton, 34, were farm laborers from Ohio in the household; neither were seen again. Renwick registered to vote in 1871 as naturalized in 1867 in the Fifteenth District Court in San Francisco. Both Mary E.,15, and Nettie, 14, attended Lafayette school in 1871 but were not on the next available roll of 1873.
Renwick seemed to be quite interested in horses but usually had several cows and calves, only 5 or so stock or beef cattle, 20 or more hogs and poultry with a slight increase in each year's assessments. He had 3 or 4 wagons.
He was appointed Squirrel District Inspector in November 1874.

At fairs of the Agricultural Society in 1877 but the stock cattle were missing; he had 40 acres in wheat, ten in barley and 30 in hay; there was no land or improvements but a notation was made See Carpentier. Stock cattle and sheep seemed to be all that was assessed to him for the next few years.
He redeemed the Carpentier part of the rancho in 1877 after a tax sale.
An item in 1877 said that Watson who has made many fine improvements on his property in Moraga Valley within the past year or two, is now erecting on it a spacious and handsome structure for a dwelling.
This is thought to be the house often shown as "Carpentier's".

In 1870 David Symes, 67, a farmer born in Vermont, from his position in the census must have been in the general area some distance South of Renwick and in the vicinity of the "Hale place" or the "Watson Ranch." Also enumerated were Mary, 64, David, 26, Joseph, 21, all three born in New York, and John Perry, a farm laborer who could not read or write, born in the Azores. A Symes obituary of 1885 (9/12) leads to an assumption that they had established there about 1865 and that there had been two daughters and perhaps two other sons.

David Symes was in the Lafayette School District when he was assessed in 1872 for 3 wagons, 3 horses, harness, farming utensils, 21 cows, 8 each calves and stock cattle, 5 beef cattle, 5 hogs, 150 pounds butter, 1 watch and 2 dozen poultry, all at nearly $1100, but no land or improvements. There were assessments from 1873 through 1875 of David and Joseph Symes, Residence Lafayette and in the Lafayette School District; in 1874 it was Simms and Residence Moraga but the same district as before and Symmes in 1875. Assessments decreased each of these years but were not seen thereafter. The assessor in 1872 had registered Joseph Shearer Symes, 22, a farmer with residence near Lafayette on April 25, 1872. The spelling became Symmes in the great register of 1876. The 1875 assessment gave his address as Martinez.

In September 1885 Joseph Symmes' obituary said that he had lived 20 years in the county, 11 in Martinez being one of the most faithful and efficient employees at Bray Bros. He had a wife, a daughter, 4, and a son, 6, one sister, Mrs. E. E. Webster who lived with him, another sister and a brother, David who lived in Oakland, as well as a brother in Los Angeles and one in Inyo County.

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