John Veatch

John Allen Veatch (March 5, 1808 – April 24, 1870) was an American surgeon, surveyor, and scientist, was known for his discovery of large deposits of borax at Tuscan Springs, California, on January 8, 1856.

Biography

Veatch was born on March 5, 1808. In 1834, he moved with his family to Texas, where he surveyed for the Mexican government. He received two land grants in 1835, one located in what would become Beaumont, Texas, and another near the future Sour Lake, Texas. After the Texas Revolution, where he served as a surgeon, Veatch moved to California, where he discovered borax at Tuscan Springs in Lake County, California, on January 8, 1856.

Veatch eventually ended up in Oregon, where he taught at the Willamette University College of Medicine.

Possible identification as Judge Holden

Veatch has been considered a popular candidate for the historical Judge Holden, mentioned in Samuel Chamberlain's autobiography My Confession: Recollections of a Rogue and, later, the historical novel Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. Like Holden, Veatch either commanded or was second in command of a scalp-hunting party into Mexico. Holden was also a polymath, skilled in the very same areas as Veatch, such as geography.[user-generated source?] Others have speculated that Charles Wilkins Webber is another possible historical identification for Judge Holden.

References

  1. 1 2 Association, Texas State Historical. "John Allen Veatch: Pioneer Surgeon and Scientist". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  2. ↑ "Borax: Tehama County's White Gold | Tales of Tehama". Red Bluff Daily News. 17 August 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  3. ↑ Linsley, Judith; Rienstrad, Ellen; Stiles, Jo (2002). Giant Under the Hill, A History of the Spindletop Oil Discovery at Beaumont, Texas in 1901. Austin: Texas State Historical Association. pp. 9–11. ISBN 9780876112366.
  4. ↑ "New historical notes on Judge Holden, Glanton, Tobin, and the rest". cormacmcarthy.com. Archived from the original on 30 January 2022.
  5. ↑ https://allthatsinteresting.com/judge-holden