Isaiah Dovey Cattle Brand and Ear Mark, Artifact Number 65.13r 

This month’s artifact is a cattle brand and ear mark that was officially registered to Sonoma County pioneer farmer, Isaiah Dovey, in 1871.  It was donated to the Healdsburg City Archives in 1965 and is numbered #65.13r.  No donor records exist for this artifact. 

The object is a 7” x 6.5” piece of cowhide that has been branded with a capital “D” with a half circle floating over it.  The leather is roughly fashioned to have “ears,” which are shown slit down the middle (as the ears would be on the actual cow).  This brand and ear mark served to identify livestock belonging to Isaiah Dovey and was registered at the Sonoma County Recorder in 1871.  This would have been Isaiah’s copy; an identical piece of cowhide would have been filed with the County Recorder.  Glued to the back of the leather is a hand-written label from the Recorder’s office which states: 

Brand and ear mark of Isaiah Dovey to be placed on the left hip.

Filed in office and recorded by request of Isaiah Dovey, March 22, 1871 at 10 min past 11 of a.m. in Liber B of Brands for Sonoma County. 

            W.H. Bond, County Recorder by Thos. B. Dalton, Deputy

Front View

Isaiah Dovey was born in England in 1842, and came to the United States in 1843 with his parents, Richard and Jane, and three brothers.  By 1860 the Doveys were living on the coast at Smith’s Ranch in Bodega Township.  They were farmers.  Within the next ten years, the family moved east to the outskirts of Sebastopol in Analy Township.  Isaiah was 28 years old and managing his father’s farm in 1870.  The following year he wed his wife Mary.  As a wedding gift, Richard deeded the couple 160 acres of land near the Oscar Hallberg farm (on what is now the Gravenstein Highway).  Once Isaiah had his own ranch, he registered his cattle brand and ear mark.  Isaiah planted fruit trees, ran cattle and had a successful general farm until his death in the 1910s.

The above was researched and written by Holly Hoods.

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