Alameda County
Biographies
ISRAEL BIDDLE HAINES
ISRAEL
BIDDLE HAINES. A pioneer rancher and orchardist, Israel Biddle Haines
held a prominent place among the representative citizens of Alameda county, where he had been a resident
for many years. With his death, which occurred May 4, 1902, was lost
to the community a man of energy and enterprise, a trustworthy member of
society, and one whose best interests had ever lain parallel to those of his
adopted county and state.
A native of Philadelphia,
Pa., Mr. Haines was born
January 6, 1829, and until he was thirteen years old remained in the parental
home. He then found employment on a farm just over the line in New Jersey, continuing
so occupied for five years, when he became apprenticed to learn the carpenter’s
trade. Between the ages of twenty and twenty-three he was so engaged, after
which he followed his trade there and in St. Louis, Mo., in the latter location
remaining twenty-six months. He then returned to Philadelphia,
and in April, 1855, took passage on the steamer B. F. Hoxie, bound
for California via Cape
Horn. The journey occupied one hundred and fifty-two days, and
after their arrival in September of the same year Mr. Haines came to
Alvarado, Alameda
county, and at once secured employment on a ranch.
When financially able he rented land and entered upon independent operations in
the agricultural line, his first ranch being the present site of the University of California
at Berkeley.
Later he was located at San Pablo,
Contra Costa county, in partnership with another man. In October, 1862, he
returned to Alameda
county and purchased the ranch upon which his widow
now makes her home. This consists of one hundred acres two miles from Decoto, on the Decoto and
Alvarado road, in Washington
township, and at that time was an open field without
any improvement. He proceeded at once to an intelligent improvement and
cultivation of the same, putting up ample buildings and setting out fruit,
thirty-five acres now being devoted to the latter, consisting principally of
apricots and cherries. The property is now one of the most valuable in the
community. Mr. Haines deserves all credit for the success which he
achieved in life by his own efforts. He was dependent on his own resources at
the age of thirteen years and before his death had accumulated considerable
property and established for himself a respected position among the citizens of
his community. In politics he was a stanch Republican
and in the interests of his party served as school trustee. Fraternally he
belonged to Crusade Lodge, No. 93, I. O. O. F., being one
of its early members.
March 9, 1870, Mr. Haines married Charlotta L. Thompson, a native of Point Pleasant, Ohio,
and who was born in the same house as General Grant. This house was built and
owned by her father at the time of Grant’s birth. She was reared in her native
town until the age of fourteen years, when she was sent to Urbana, Ohio,
and attended school for two years. Afterward she finished her education at the Ohio Female College near Cincinnati,
and following this taught school for three years in her native state, and two
years in Iowa.
In 1867 she came to California
and located near Quincy, Plumas county, where she
taught school two terms, then came to Alvarado and taught three terms. She then
became the wife of Mr. Haines, and is now the mother of the following
children: Edward Lee, a bookkeeper in Miles City, Mont.;
Robert Thompson, who conducts the home ranch; Joseph Biddle, a
teacher in Heald’s Business
College in San
Francisco; Henry Sherwin, at home; and Florence May,
a teacher in the school
of Decoto.
Transcribed by Marie Hassard 22 September 2015.
Source: History
of the State of California & Biographical Record of Coast Counties,
California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A. M., Page
784. The Chapman Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
© 2015 Marie
Hassard.
ALAMEDA
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