justice of the peace in 1854. He lived for several years in Mission Valley, above Old Town, and later owned Rancho San Miguel in Baja California. He was lessee of the Mission San Diego de Alcalá in 1848, and later joined the gold rush. He also kept a store in Old Town, and later in new San Diego, in partnership with Thomas Whaley. His old ledger, kept in 1853, later owned by Joseph Jessop, shows many curious things. The first entry in it shows the sale of over $200 worth of provisions to Lieutenant Derby, for the use of the Indians working on the San Diego River dam. The prices charged are also very interesting, now. Ranch and city life Crosthwaite purchased Rancho San Miguel, near Ensenada, Baja California, in 1861 and moved there, but still spent much of his time in San Diego. He was an active in the San Diego Lodge of the Freemasons. Crosthwaite visited his sister in San Andreas, California, where her husband William Jeff Gatewood was publishing the San Andreas Register. Crosthwaite suggested that Gatewood move the paper to San Diego, which didn't have a newspaper then. He did and the first issue of San Diego Union was issued October 10, 1868. Crosthwaite was appointed Chief of Police in San Diego in 1869. The same year, he partnered with Thomas Whaley to run a store in Old Town. Death Crosthwaite died 1903 in San Diego. He is buried in an unmarked plot in the Masonic section of Mount Hope Cemetery, but it was since marked by the Masons in 1968. He had almost fifty grandchildren at the time of his death. Character and personality Crosthwaite was a well-built man, with a full beard and a remarkably deep voice. An uncle-in-law, Mr. Hempstead, stopped off at La Playa (between Old Town and Point Loma) on his way to San Francisco in the 1850s, and recognized him by his voice, although he hadn't seen him for years. He was known to be a fearless man, whose courage was proved in many hard encounters. He was a man of strong character and had enemies as well as friends. Part of these troubles were due to religious differences, he being an Episcopalian and his wife a Catholic. He was fond of telling his recollections of early days, often in a joking manner. References Smythe's History of San Diego (1907–1908)