Nathan Spear, California's first commercial salmon fisherman

After Captain Sutter had settled at Fort New Helvetia he was in the habit, at times, of sending fresh salmon to Yerba Buena. The fish were fresh-salted or smoked. Nathan Spear, who was an epicure, and lover of good things, appreciated these fish very highly. The idea suggested itself to his mind that something profitable might be done in salmon fishing on the Sacramento River. Not wishing to trespass upon Captain Sutter’s ground, although, of course, Sutter had no exclusive right to the fish in the river, Spear wrote to him on the subject and received encouragement to go up and engage in fishing there for salmon. He made several trips in 1840 and ‘41 in the schooner Isabella, camping on the bank of the Sacramento in a comfortable tent, and superintended the catching of the fish by the crew of his schooner and by Indians experienced in fishing, furnished by Captain Sutter. He took large quantities of salmon, filling the hold of the Isabella with fish packed in bulk, transported them to Yerba Buena, and disposed of them at satisfactory prices, packed in barrels and kegs of different sizes, to visiting vessels and to residents, making a good profit.

To Nathan Spear, therefore, is due the credit of having inaugurated the salmon fishery on this coast as a business, and of developing, to a considerable extent, an enterprise which has since grown to large proportions. On the last trip to the river in salmon catching Mrs. Spear accompanied her husband.