Blackhawk

In 1859, Ansel Easton commissioned artist David Woods to paint this portrait of Blackhawk, a famous Irish racehorse that Easton imported to California. The Easton ranch, which was part of the Buri Buri land grant, became known as the Blackhawk Ranch in honor of the horse, which was the first thoroughbred brought to California for the purpose of breeding and racing. The ranch later moved to the foot of Mount Diablo in Contra Costa County and is today the community of Blackhawk.

Woods was born in Ohio and came to California with the Gold Rush. He lived primarily in San Francisco, but spent short periods in Sacramento and Chico. In the 1890s, he ran the Pacific Art Gallery in San Francisco and worked as a landscape painter and portrait photographer. He died in Sacramento.