Captain Waterman

Fairfield founder Robert Waterman has been described as everything from a murderer who deserved murdering himself to a simply a tough man with a grain of humor.

Ripley's Believe It or Not in a cartoon called Waterman "the cruelest man in the world." That's because the clipper captain allegedly threw overboard anywhere from 17 to 30 sailors during his voyages.

But Fairfield resident David Weir defended Waterman in a 1935 newspaper article and the 1957 book, "That Fabulous Captain Waterman."

"The gruesome and tragic stories and rumors of Waterman's brutality and inhumanity at sea during the latter years of his sailing career were in the main grog-shop and fo'c'sle sweepings," Weir wrote.

Neither defenders nor critics denied Waterman's steely determination. This resolve helped him to found Fairfield in 1856 and make his small, incorporated town the Solano County seat. Fairfield didn't become a city until 1903.

Waterman was born March 4, 1808, at Hudson, N.Y. His father, a whaler, drowned when Waterman was 8. His mother moved the family to Fairfield, Conn.

He signed on for a voyage at 14 and became a ship's commander by 21. By 1850, he had set speed records that lasted a quarter century.

Weir described him as "not large, but agile" with a narrow face characterized by deep black eyes, a long, straight nose, protruding chin and high forehead.

Waterman's reputation as a tough commander took a turn for the worst on his last voyage. The trip featured fights and an attempted mutiny. When the ship docked in San Francisco, stories spread that Waterman had shot men for target practice and tossed a sailor to the sharks.

The San Francisco-based The California Courier wrote, "That monster Waterman should never be allowed to leave this city alive, and should receive the same treatment as his crew - murdered!"

After avoiding conviction in a San Francisco trial, Waterman retired from the sea and moved to Solano County. He had already bought part of the Suisun Rancho. Waterman founded the town of Bridgeport, later named Cordelia after his wife, apparently thinking its location near a major roadway and waterway would make it the area's preeminent town.

He blew it. Though Waterman had title to land up to the edge of Suisun Marsh, he had overlooked an island on Suisun Slough. Captain Josiah Wing landed on the island in 1851 while exploring the sloughs and founded Suisun City there. The wetlands separating Suisun City from the mainland have since been filled in.

Suisun City had the better location than Cordelia for ships to bring the area's produce to market. Wing's town thrived and Waterman's town Cordelia failed to fulfill its promise.

But that didn't stop Waterman. He founded Fairfield next to Suisun City, naming it after his home town in Connecticut. He then looked for a way to make certain Fairfield would prosper.

Benicia had the Solano County seat in 1858, which gave it the county offices and courts. Waterman wanted the county headquarters to be in Fairfield. Other county cities also vied for the honor. The matter went to a vote of county residents in September of that year.

A writer from the Benicia-based Solano Herald traveled to Fairfield-Suisun before the election. He found Suisun City growing and busy. But he was more impressed with tiny Fairfield.

"Fairfield is quiet, roomy and convenient, neither of which qualities is possessed by its rival," he wrote. "This town also aspires to be the county seat and, if removed from Benicia, which will be decided by fall elections, will doubtless be a good place for it."

A county convention met in Suisun City in August 1858 to discuss the matter.

Waterman offered the county 16 acres of land in Fairfield known as Union Park, plus four more blocks and a $10,000 bond. Vacaville offered four blocks and $1,000. Suisun City offered $5,550 and a lot known as Owen's Tavern Stand. Denverton - now gone without a trace - ran on its own merits.

Voters chose Fairfield.

"Fairfield, we congratulate you - the fight has been won and we acquiesce in the verdict of the people," the Herald wrote.

The newspaper also decided to go with that old axiom, "If you can't beat them, join them." The subsequent week, the Herald announced it would move from Benicia to Suisun City to be near the new county seat.

The Herald is an ancestor of the Daily Republic.

Solano County government also wasted no time. Within a few weeks, the county clerk and treasurer moved into new offices at Fairfield inside a brick building erected by Waterman.

Waterman made changes in his life. He sold his home and made plans to build "an elegant stone residence" nearby, one designed by an San Francisco architect, the Herald reported in late 1858.

Thanks to Waterman, Fairfield's future was secure. Still, even landing the county seat didn't turn Fairfield into a boom town.

The city had about 200 residents in 1879, according to the Solano County atlas that came out that year. It had the county buildings, a grade school, a Methodist church, a Second Adventists church under construction, two hotels, a livery stable and a blacksmith shop.

Waterman spent the remainder of his life living in his Suisun Valley house. Fairfield over the coming century would expand so much that his house now sits on Ten Gate Road amid subdivisions.

Stories about him abound, many recorded by Weir. They range from him spinning tall tales at his Suisun Valley home to traveling to Europe to purchase war materials for Union forces during the Civil War to firing shotgun blasts near a running servant and later calling the incident a "joke."

What's known for certain is Waterman died on Aug. 8, 1884, at the age of 76. His legacy is Fairfield.

Captain Waterman was born at Hudson New York on March 4,1808. He lived in Fairfield Connecticut. Captain Robert Waterman made record runs around Cape Horn. Once, Robert was told to climb the mast to look for land. The winds were strong that day and were blew off the mast. He managed to quickly grab on to a rope but he ripped out all of his fingernails! In 1829, Robert was said to be the youngest First Mate on record. A First Mate is rank just under the captain of the ship.

Captain Waterman is the founder of Fairfield. Founder means organizer, so Waterman is the organizer of Fairfield.

While Waterman's ship was being built, Waterman met Cordelia Sterling at the engagement party of her brother to his sister. Soon after in December of 1846, they were married. On December 8, 1846 the "Sea Witch" was launched. Waterman was sure that she would be the fastest ship on the seas. In 1846 the "Sea Witch" left the New York harbor on December 23, to start her first voyage to China. On March 25, 1849 Waterman brought the Sea Witch from Hong Kong to New York in just 74 days. In 1849 Waterman gave up the "Sea Witch" and decided to be a farmer.

In 1850 he moved to Suisun Valley. He raised cattle and grew lima beans to sell to minors that were at the Gold Rush. In 1851 he invited to sail a new clipper ship called the "Challenge". Because all of the good sailors went to the Gold Rush he had a crew of criminals and sick people. While at sea his First Mate was stabbed and Waterman had to fight to get control of his ship back. When he got back he was accused of being cruel treatment of his crew and went to trial. He was eventually found innocent of the charges, but gave up being a captain.

In 1853 he moved back to Suisun Valley and raised cattle from Texas. In 1856 Fairfield was named Fairfield after the town where Waterman grew up. He also named the town of Bridgeport and renamed that town to Cordelia. He named the town after his wife. On August 8th, 1884 Captain Waterman died at his Suisun Valley home.