The history of Agnes Drummond and Jacob Haas is fascinating thus far, albeit incomplete. Agnes Drummond was born in Glasgow, Scotland on April 27, 1851 (death certificate). Jacob was born in Pennsylvania to Pennsylvania Dutch (German) parents in 1846 (1870 census and death index). How they met and married in California remains somehwat of a mystery.

Family legends differ on why Agnes came to the United States although they could actually all have some merit. One oral history claims that when Agnes realized as a girl with two brothers, she had virtually no chance of inheriting any of the family's estate, she decided to find her riches in the United States. It also says that her brother followed her here and died on shipboard. Another tale tells of how two Drummond sisters came to America to marry men, sight unseen. Neither of these stories can be confirmed. But what we do know is Agnes fell in love with Jacob Haas and married him in 1874 and Margaret, her sister, married James Murray in 1875 (confirmed by an announcement in the SF Call & the death listing of her son Randolph Drummond Murray). Robert's death on shipboard has not been confirmed at of August 2001.

Please see Drummond History for more on Agnes.

Meanwhile, we turn to Jacob and how and when he ended up in California. I now know that Jacob's father, John L. Haas, came to California during 1849, in the height of the Gold Rush (click here for his story). Apparently Jacob's mother, Matilda Getz, died when he was only 2 years old, leaving John with two or three young children. The 1860 census confirms that Jacob and his sister, Clarissa, were born in Pennsylvania, but no confirmation of a third child has not been made at this time other than a family biography by the San Leandro history society. It would be logical that Jacob's mother died in childbirth since his sister was probably born in about 1848 and John Haas left for California early in 1849. No sign of their family can be found in the 1850 Pennsylvania census. I presume the children were left with relatives until John could establish himself in California. I do know that Jacob and his sister were living with the family by the 1860 census, and possibly before if a daguerreotype turns out to be of them.

A recent discovery, Agnes' certificate for Jacob's Civil War pension, confirms family oral history that Jacob did indeed serve in the Civil War and that he did so in California. According to service records from California's Adjutant General's Office, Jacob enlisted on Dec. 7, 1863 in the California 6th Infantry Regiment, E Company in San Francisco. He served for nearly two years, mustering out on October 31, 1865. Company E served at Fort Humboldt* in Eureka, Ca. Regiment history indicates they had skirmishs with Indians at Booth's Run, Kneeland Prairie and Grouse Creek, California.

More family stories tell that Jacob was very unhappy and ran away from home to join the army. At the time he would have been living with his father and step-mother, Mary Reid Haas, along with 6 half siblings. Jacob, was only 17 when he enlisted in California. He was again living in the household of Mary Reid when the 1870 census was taken. He was 24 at the time.

No matter how Jacob and Agnes arrived in California, we know that they married on July 5, 1874 in Alameda County from their marriage certificate. Margaret Drummond was a witness.

Unfortunately, Jacob and Agnes life together would be a short one. He died at the age of 39 from Consumption or Tuberculoses. While I have not yet received his military files, family stories also say that he died from complications of wounds suffered during his service. Agnes, like her step-mother-law was left to raise her family alone. Neither widow remarried.

*More links to Fort Humboldt

Virtual Tour of Fort Humboldt