| Office | Sheriff of Contra Costa County |
|---|---|
| Order | 2nd |
| Predecessor | Nathaniel Jones |
| Successor | John F.S. Smith |
| Term start | 1852 |
| Term end | 1853 |
| Office 2 | San Diego County Sheriff's Office |
| Order 2 | 10th |
| Office 1 | Sheriff of Contra Costa County |
| Order 1 | 4th |
| Predecessor 1 | John F.S. Smith |
| Successor 1 | James Hunsacker |
| Term end 1 | 1857 |
| Term start 1 | 1855 |
| Term end 2 | 1875 |
| Term start 2 | 1876 |
| Birth date | August 7, 1825 |
| Birth place | Alexander County, Illinois, U.S. |
| Death date | September 13, 1913 (aged 88) |
| Death place | San Diego, California, U.S. |
| Spouse | Lois E. Hastings |
Nicholas Hunsaker (August 7, 1825 – September 13, 1913) was the 2nd and 4th sheriff of Contra Costa County, California, from 1851 to 1853 and from 1855 to 1857[1][2] and the 10th sheriff of San Diego County from 1875 to 1876.[3][4][5][6]
Nicholas Hunsaker was born in Alexander County, Illinois, the son of Daniel and Charlotte (King) Hunsaker. Hunsaker descended from Mennonites expelled from Switzerland and emigrated to Pennsylvania.[7] Nicholas settled in California in 1847, where he farmed and raised stock under the T5 brand, as well as serving as sheriff. Nicholas married Lois E. Hastings. Lois's uncle was Lansford W. Hastings. Nicholas Hunsaker moved his family to San Diego in 1869. In September 1875, Nicholas Hunsaker was involved in enforcing eviction papers, evicting Luiseño from ancestral lands on Rancho Temecula.[8][9] Nicholas' son, William, became a well-known politician and attorney in San Diego and Los Angeles.
Nicholas Hunsaker died in San Diego on September 13, 1913 from injuries he received after being struck by a streetcar.[10]
References
- ^ McGroarty, John Steven (1921). Los Angeles from the Mountains to the Sea. Vol. 2. Chicago: American Historical Society. p. 221. LCCN 21003908. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
- ^ History of Contra Costa County, California. San Francisco, CA: W. A. Slocum & CO. 1882. pp. 240–242. ISBN 0914418017. Retrieved 14 June 2013. See Table showing the Officers of Contra Costa County, as compiled from the Records of the Court of Sessions and Boards of Supervisors, from 1850 to 1882 inclusive. Re-print Brooks-Sterling Company, 1974, Oakland
- ^ Lummis, Charles Fletcher (ed.) (1909), "Makers of Los Angeles", Out West. Vol. 30, Los Angeles, CA: Out West Magazine Co, p. 365, ISBN 9781153075565, retrieved 14 June 2013 Alt URL
- ^ "Deposition of Nicholas Hunsaker". The United States Vs. Andres Castillero: "New Almaden" - Transcript of the Record. Vol. 4. San Francisco, CA: United States District Court, Northern District of California. 1861. pp. 2776–2778. Retrieved 15 Aug 2015.
My name is Nicholas Hunsaker; my age is thirty-five years, and I reside in La Fayette, Contra Costa county. *** My occupation is that of farming and stock-raising; I have been sheriff of the county two terms, from 1851 to 1853, and from 1855 to 1857.
- ^ "https://sandiegosheriffsmuseum.org/sheriffs/sheriff-nicholas-hunsaker/". San Diego Sheriff's Museum. Retrieved 2026-04-03.
- ^ "Past Sheriffs of Contra Costa". Contra Costa County Office Of The Sheriff
- ^ Page, Daniel E. (2003). The descendants of Hartmann Hunsaker : born 1689/90, of Canton Bern, Switzerland. Arkoma, OK. OCLC 866204748. ASIN B0006S6BDG.
- ^ Phillips, George Harwood (2014). Chiefs and Challengers: Indian Resistance and Cooperation in Southern California, 1769–1906. University of Oklahoma Press. pp. 207–208. ISBN 9780806147581. Retrieved 15 Aug 2015.
- ^ "History". Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians. Retrieved 15 Aug 2015.
After the establishment of the state of California in 1850, a group of Temecula Valley Ranchers petitioned the District Court in San Francisco for a Decree of Ejection of Indians living on the land in Temecula Valley, to which the Temeekuyam could show no clear written title on April 15, 1869. The court later granted the decree in 1873. Several attempts by the Temeekuyam captains to stay the decree were unsuccessful, and our fate was sealed. In 1875 a posse led by the sheriff of San Diego County, Mr. Hunsaker, began three days worth of evictions.
- ^ "Dies of Injuries". Los Angeles Times. 1913-09-15. p. 11. Retrieved 2020-03-31. – via Newspapers.com.