Mecham Sr., Harrison Tyler (1833-1909)
/Lewis Dowe’s Portrait Photograph of Harrison Tyler Mecham Sr.
THE PHOTOGRAPHER/ PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO:
LEWIS DOWE was born in 1838 in Hanover, New Hampshire and died in 1919 in Portland, Oregon. He arrived in Petaluma in September of 1875 and set up his photography studio in the rooms formerly occupied by photographer Hugh Anderson. Dowe worked in Petaluma as both a “view” and portrait photographer until he departed the town in March of 1882. (For additional information on this photographer and to view all portraits by him in the collection, click on his name in blue above.)
THE SITTER:
Name: Harrison Tyler Mecham Sr.
Description: This cabinet card portrait of Harrison Tyler Mecham Senior was taken as he approached early middle age. His carefully groomed beard and mustache are edged in grey and his hairline is significantly receded. Mecham wears a jacket with fashionably large, notched lapels and a matching vest with scalloped lapels. He wears a plain-front white shirt with a large, pointed collar under which is a black neck ring.
Biographical Note: Harrison Mecham was a highly admired Petaluma pioneer and philanthropist. A true “Renaissance Man,” he was a farmer, businessman and art patron, and the details of his professional and personal life were constantly reported in local newspapers.
In Missouri at the age of eighteen, Mecham met a group of old Californians who had served as guides to Commodore Stockton and joined them on their return west in the spring of 1848. The exciting story of his travels are told in detail by Tom Gregory in History of Sonoma County. Mecham successfully mined gold in California until 1853, after which he began accumulating parcels of land on the outskirts of Petaluma. Mecham became very wealthy raising animals and growing crops on what eventually became his 7,000 acre parcel.
Later in life, he placed 1,000 of those acres in the Harrison Mecham Relief Fund, the proceeds from which were used to benefit the poor of Petaluma. In an additional act of great charity which had enormous benefit for the community, he subdivided 1,500 acres of his land holdings into small tracts and sold them at a reasonable rate, making the purchase of a home possible for many Petalumans. In a very interesting act of civic charity, Mecham furnished the funds for the erection of a $1,000 drinking fountain located on Washington Street just up from the corner of Main Street. It was most likely a controversial work of art. It included a semi-nude statue of the Greek mythological cupbearer, Hebe, but also held strong temperance iconographical significance for the pre-prohibition era.
Mecham married his “child bride” Melissa Jane Stewart in 1853, but very little is known about her. In 1890 Mecham gave “Garden Valley Ranch” to their daughter, Isabel, as a gift when she married the Petaluma businessman, Walter S. Frisch. It was a landmark property partly due to the extensive grove of eucalyptus Mecham had planted along its border. Harrison Mecham PDF
Family Affiliation: Harrison Mecham was married to Melissa Jane Stewart Mecham (1837-1909).
Bibliography:
THE PHOTOGRAPH:
Format / Size: cabinet card, approximately 10.75 x 16.5 cm
Medium: albumen photographic print mounted on cardstock
Description, front: On the left bottom edge of this cabinet card is the photographer’s imprint in the form of his signature, “L. Dowe”, and on the right is printed, “PETALUMA, CAL”.
Description, back: Hand written in black ink along the top edge is: “Harrison Mecham Sr.”.
Date: September 1875 - March 1882
Condition: This cabinet card is slightly soiled especially along the right edge.
Owner: Petaluma Historical Library & Museum, 2000-113-03
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