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REDWOOD CITY
THROUGH THE YEARS
The Industrious William Littlejohn
By the Archives Association and from the Historic Union Cemetery Association
William Littlejohn came to
California with his wife, Emma,
in 1850 and went directly to the
Coloma area, where he built the
first stamp mill. This machine broke
down quartz so that the gold could
be panned out. It is still in use today
though in a much improved and
exaggerated way.
The Littlejohns came from
Devonshire, England, where
William had worked in the coal
mines. He felt the fever of gold
in California, as had many of his
countrymen.
Littlejohn was paid well for
his invention and enjoyed the
experience of construction. He
and Emma came to Redwood City
in 1857, and he immediately went
to work building sawmills. His
first was Charles Brown’s mill on
Alambique Creek, where he worked
with Willard Whipple to build the
small mill. He was then hired by
Dennis Martin to build his sawmill
on the San Francisquito Creek
near its intersection with Bear
Gulch Creek. Efforts on these two
sawmills started about the same
time.
While William Littlejohn was in
the hills building sawmills, Emma
did not sit still. She purchased
three side-by-side properties on
the south shore of Redwood Creek.
These very deep lots provided the
Littlejohns the opportunity to do
business on Main Street as well as
on the creek.
The construction of the drawbridge
over Redwood Creek was done in
the same fashion as the streamcleaning
dams. It took several
men, on both sides of the creek,
to open the bridge; it did not rise
up but rather pivoted in opposite
directions. This bridge improved
life in Redwood City substantially.
The building of the B. G. Whiting
was a major accomplishment. It was
the largest ship built in the South
Bay at that time and was one of the
few built on the bay that could sail
the ocean waters as well.
William and Emma Littlejohn
were the parents of three children.
Chase was the first boy born in
Redwood City and became famous
throughout the world as a naturalist
and taxidermist. The second child,
George, went to sea and became
captain of a sea otter–hunting
schooner, the Otter. The third child,
Flora, married a man from San Jose
as soon as she reached maturity, and
very little has been recorded about
her life.
William Littlejohn celebrated
his 92nd birthday on Oct. 25,
1906. The event was recorded in
the San Mateo Times-Gazette.
Littlejohn was well known for his
accomplishments.
Built the first stamp mill used in
deep rock mining near Coloma on
the American River. Lived in Grass
Valley and Nevada City during this
period.
Built the first lumber mills, for
Charles Brown on the Alambique
Creek and Dennis Martin’s first
sawmill on San Francisquito Creek
at Searsville.
Built Redwood City’s first water
mains by boring out the center
cores of redwood trees.
Built the drawbridge that extended
over “A” Street (Broadway) at the
intersection with Jefferson. Prior
to that, the only way to cross the
creek was to put on very large hip
boots that were kept at Livingston’s
Store at the corner of “A” Street and
Mound Street (Main Street).
Built a system of gates, near the
bridge, that were used to dredge
the creek for shipping. The gates,
when closed, acted as a dam and
held the water back. When backed
up sufficiently, they were opened
rapidly, which allowed the water to
flood the ebbing creek and cleanse
the bottom. The system included
large wheels that required a number
of men to turn them rapidly.
Built on Redwood Creek, about
where the city hall stands today,
the schooner B.G. Whiting, a 90-
ton ship that plied the waters of
San Francisco Bay and the coast of
California.
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