▁to ▁Clark ▁County , ▁Missouri . ▁The ▁family ▁continued ▁to ▁farm ▁and ▁Sp ur geon ▁attended ▁school . ▁When ▁he ▁turned ▁ 1 6 , ▁he ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁store ▁cl erk ▁in ▁Alexand ria , ▁Missouri . ▁He ▁expressed ▁strong ▁interest ▁in ▁re loc ating ▁to ▁California ▁when ▁the ▁California ▁Gold ▁R ush ▁happened . ▁He ▁left ▁Missouri ▁and ▁tra ve led ▁to ▁New ▁Orleans . ▁From ▁there , ▁he ▁tra ve led ▁to ▁the ▁Ist hm us ▁of ▁Pan ama ▁before ▁arriv ing ▁in ▁California . ▁While ▁in ▁California , ▁he ▁worked ▁in ▁the ▁gold ▁mines . ▁He ▁fought ▁in ▁the ▁Rog ue ▁River ▁Wars . ▁He ▁left ▁California ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 6 , ▁after ▁making ▁decent ▁money ▁in ▁gold ▁min ing . ▁He ▁tra ve led ▁back ▁through ▁Pan ama ▁and ▁ended ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City . ▁He ▁then ▁returned ▁to ▁Missouri , ▁sett ling ▁in ▁Ath ens . ▁Sp ur geon ▁married ▁Mar tha ▁Mor eland ▁at ▁some ▁point ▁during ▁his ▁life ▁outside ▁of ▁California . ▁ ▁Life ▁in ▁Santa ▁Ana ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 4 , ▁Sp ur geon ▁helped ▁his ▁family ▁re loc ate ▁from ▁Missouri ▁to ▁Sol ano ▁County , ▁California . ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 7 , ▁he ▁went ▁to ▁Los ▁Angeles . ▁His ▁wife ▁died ▁in ▁Los ▁Angeles . ▁He ▁went ▁back ▁to ▁Clark ▁County , ▁Missouri . ▁He ▁went ▁back ▁to ▁California ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 9 . ▁He ▁settled ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁now ▁known ▁as ▁Santa