Frederick Alonzo Bee (傅列秘) was an early opponent of Anti-Chinese sentiment in the United States. He was a California Gold Rush pioneer, miner, merchant, manager of the Pony Express, builder of the telegraph over the Sierras, developer of Sausalito, California, lobbyist for the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, official at the Chinese Consulate, and vineyardist near Martinez, California. Bee Street in Sausalito was named after him."Businessman and Advocate" Marin History Museum, April, 2012 Bee was appointed as Consul by the Chinese government after he effectively represented the interests of the Chinese community in front of a Congressional committee and settled disputes in Chinatown. Bee acted in an official capacity to represent the interests of Chinese immigrants,"Mamie Tape" Daily Alta California, Volume 37, Number 12610, 22 October 1884 and appeared in federal court cases;"Testimony" Daily Alta California, Volume 42, Number 13900, 21 September 1887 his efforts to preserve harmony were recognized by the Emperor of China."Consul Bee's medal" Daily Alta California, San Francisco, CA, 25 June 1886 October, 2015 Sierra Heritage magazine featured Frederick Bee in a 4-page article written by Lj Bottjer. Sherri Bergmann wrote an article for the January 22, 2018, Mountain Democrat."Frederick Bee – A true pioneer visionary" January 22, 2018 Mountain Democrat
California Assemblymember Marc Levine authored a resolution to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the death of Frederick A. Bee."California resolution" California resolution New York Assembly member Ken Blankenbush authored a proclamation to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the death of Frederick A. Bee."New York proclamation" New York proclamation
Early life Bee was one of eight children born in Clinton, Oneida County, New York, to John Bee and Mary (Wilson) Bee on September 9, 1825. Frederick Bee's parents had emigrated from Northumberland, England.
Family life Bee's wife, Catherine Maxwell, was born on March 7, 1828, in Ballston Spa, NY, and died on August 18, 1889, in San Francisco, CA."DIED", "Daily Alta California", San Francisco, 21 August 1889. Daughters of the American Revolution under the direction of the Genealogical Records Committee of California (1935). "Records from tombstones in Laurel Hill Cemetery, 1853-1927", page 8
Bee and his wife had two sons. Frank M. Bee was born on August 11, 1851, in New York, and died on June 22, 1895, in San Francisco.Year: 1880; Census Place: San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Roll: 79; Family History Film: 1254079; Page: 238C; Enumeration District: 212; Image: 0237. Willie Howard Bee was born on December 20, 1853, in Placerville, California, and died on November 10, 1855, in Placerville."DIED", "Daily Alta California", San Francisco, 16 November 1855
California Gold Rush In late 1855, Bee had a successful mining operation employing 20 Chinese workers on Ledge Bar. "South Fork of American River" Sacramento Daily Union, Sacramento, CA 27 September 1855
Bee received 2,767 votes as an American Party candidate to be a member of the Assembly for El Dorado County in the election of 1856 but did not win the election."Official Election Results" Daily Alta California San Francisco, CA 24 November 1856
Telegraph and Pony Express
The Grapevine
In May, 1858, the Placerville and Humboldt Telegraph Company was formed, with Bee as one of the incorporators. The mission of the company was to build a telegraph from Placerville, California, to Carson Valley, Nevada Territory, to Salt Lake City, Utah Territory."Telegraph to Carson Valley" Sacramento Daily Union, Sacramento, CA, 10 May 1858
In September, 1858 the Placerville and Humboldt Telegraph Company incorporated and elected Bee as president."Matters in Placerville" Sacramento Daily Union, Sacramento, CA, 16 September 1858 George Chorpenning and his brother were the largest shareholders; Frederick Bee, his wife Catherine Bee, and his brother Albert W. Bee, Sr., were also shareholders.Placerville and Humboldt Telegraph Company Articles of incorporation On November 30, 1858, Bee wrote to William M. Gwin to encourage a government subsidy to complete the telegraph to Salt Lake City, Utah Territory."Letter: to Senator William M. Gwin 1858 Nov 30." Yale University Sterling Memorial Library OCLC Number: 702130366 Legislative Assembly of Utah Territory approved the incorporation of Placerville, Humboldt and Salt Lake Telegraph Company on January 21, 1859."Acts and resolutions of the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Utah eighth annual session--for the years 1858-1859. Also memorials to Congress (1859)" Utah Territory, 1858 Bee announced the impending completion of the telegraph line in San Francisco in August, 1859."Letter to the Citizens of San Francisco" Daily Alta California, 2 August 1859
This initial telegraph came to be known as the "Grapevine", and would spawn the modern expression "heard it through the grapevine":
Colonel Bee's Grapevine soon became proverbial for dubious communication. In September 1864, during the Civil War, a contributor to the Quarterly Review of Danville, Kentucky, wrote that though men of the South had moved their families north and taken the oath of allegiance to the Union, many had returned to fight for the South at their pleasure despite their oaths: "Thousands of rebel men have left their wives and children behind, among us, to enjoy all the plenty and protection of the land, who are in constant intercourse by the public mails, as well as by the grapevine, with them, and publicly and secretly doing all they can to give aid to the rebel movements." Reflecting on the Civil War thirty years later, author Martha McCulloch Williams wrote in 1893 that in conquered territories, "The only news came over the 'grapevine telegraph,' which ran from Nowhere into Space—and, it is safe to say, recorded more marvels than ever went over a wire."
The Pacific Telegraph
Theodore Judah, William M. Gwin, Albert W. Bee, Sr., George Chorpening, Manuel M. Noah and Frederick Bee were sojourning in Washington, D.C., in March, 1860."California in Washington" Daily Alta California San Francisco, CA, 21 March 1860 Pacific Telegraph Act of 1860 was approved on June 16, 1860. Hiram Sibley, of Rochester, NY, was awarded the contract to construct the Pacific Telegraph in September,1860”Cleveland Morning Leader, Cleveland, Ohio, 24 September 1860 In May, 1861 Pacific Telegraph Company formed in Rochester, NY and Albert W. Bee, Sr. was elected as a director."News of April, 18 - continued" Daily Alta California, 1 May 1861 At 10 pm on October 26, 1861, this message from San Francisco was received by Cyrus W. Field in New York, “The Pacific telegraph calls the Atlantic cable AW Bee”."Cyrus W. Field, his life and work [1819-1892" Judson, Isabella (Field), Mrs., 1846- [from old catalog], 1896, page 134 In November, 1861 Albert W. Bee, Sr. resigned from Pacific Telegraph Company."The Pacific Telegraph" New York Times 1 November 1861 Albert W. Bee, Sr.died in November, 1863 in Austin, Nevada Territory. Albert Bee was engaged in silver mining in Reese River Valley.Mountain Democrat, Placerville, CA 21 November 1863
The Pony Express
“Leavenworth & Pike's Peak Express, the organizers of the Pony Express applied for articles of incorporation by the legislature of Kansas territory, which were passed by that body and approved by Gov. S. Medary on February 13, 1860. Besides the three original members of the firm the incorporators included General Superintendent BF Ficklin together with FA Bee, WW Finney and John S Jones, all tried and trustworthy stage employees, who were retained on account of their wide experience in the overland traffic business.""Kansas Historical Quarterly - Pike's Peak Express Companies, 4, Part IV - The Platte Route - Concluded" George A. Root and Russell K. Hickman, February 1946 (Vol. 14 No. 1), pages 36 to 92. "The first Westbound Pony Express trip left St. Joseph on April 3, 1860 and arrived ten days later in San Francisco, California, on April 14."Pony Express The Pony Express ended on October 26, 1861.
Railroads and steamships In 1865, Bee testified in front of the Committee on Railroads, Nevada Legislature. He indicated he was involved in railroad construction. "Testimony of F. A. Bee" Railroad Pamphlets Bee advertised for laborers to build the San Francisco and Humboldt Railroad in Sausalito, CA in April, 1868."For Saucelito"Daily Alta California, 27 April 1868 The Sausalito Land and Ferry Company sold lots in Sausalito in June, 1868. This advertisement referred readers to contact Bee about the prospects and conditions of the San Francisco and Humboldt Railroad."Miscellaneous"Daily Alta California, 7 June 1868 Bee sued the San Francisco and Humboldt Railroad for $39,050 in February, 1870 for expenditures and money supplied to the railroad."Sales of Stocks—The Pilot Suits—Alleged Cruelty ut Sea — Insane—lncorporation—Thc Musical Festival" Sacramento Daily Union, 17 February 1870 Bee won his lawsuit against San Francisco and Humboldt Railroad in July, 1873. American Railway Reports Volume 7 1878, New York : J. Cockcroft & Co., page 504
Bee, managing agent of the New York and San Francisco Steamship Line, met with the President in May, 1870 to discuss a subsidy for steamships to run between San Francisco and Australia."THE SAN FRANCISCO AND AUSTRALIA STEAMSHIP SCHEME" Daily Alta California, 28 May 1870 In December, 1870 the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce appointed Bee to lobby Congress for a subsidy to run steamships from San Francisco to Australia."Chamber of Commerce"Daily Alta California, 11 December 1870 The subsidy was denied."Editorial Notes"Daily Alta California, 3 March 1871
Central Polynesia Land and Commercial Company was formed in December, 1871 to build coal stations and to lease and to cultivate land in Samoa. Bee was a trustee."Incorporation" Sacramento Daily Union, Sacramento, CA, 8 December 1871 The activities of the Central Polynesia Land and Commercial Company were more complex than outlined in their articles of incorporation."Lagaga: A Short History of Western Samoa" Malama Meleisea, Penelope Schoeffel Meleisea, 1987, page 82 The Central Polynesia Land and Commercial Company went bankrupt in October, 1873."Bankruptcy" Daily Alta California, Volume 25, Number 8605, 20 October 1873 CHAPTER V — AMERICAN INTERESTS IN SAMOA, 1839–76 THE GROWTH OF AMERICAN TRADE IN THE PACIFIC Samoan Commercial and Land Company formed in March, 1874. Frederick Bee was a shareholder."Incorporations Sacramento Daily Union, Sacramento, CA, 16 March 1874 and Articles of Incorporation The Samoan Commercial and Land Company went bankrupt in late 1876."Auction Sales"Daily Alta California, 7 December 1876
Edward S. Salomon and Frederick Bee worked for the Olympia Railroad and Coal Mining Company starting in August, 1873."The Olympia Narrow Gauge Railroad" Washington Historical Quarterly, October, 1925 Bee was the manager of the Olympia Railway and Mining Company in 1874."The San Francisco directory for the year 1875" Henry G. Langley, 1875, page 120 By 1876, Bee described himself as a capitalist, not as a manager, because the Olympia Railroad and Coal Mining Company was not a successful venture for Bee and Edward Salomon."Annual directory of the City and County of San Francisco (1877)" D.M. Bishop & Co, 1877, page 168
Opposition to Chinese exclusion