Alameda
County
Biographies
CRAYTON
WINTON
CRAYTON WINTON. A prominent pioneer and successful
rancher of Alameda county was the late Crayton Winton, whose home had
been in Haywards some years previous to his death, which occurred
October 21, 1903. He was born in
Syracuse, N.Y., June 13, 1821, and was left an orphan at a very youthful
age. He was under the care and
protection of an elder brother for some years, but when still young was forced
to become dependent upon his own resources.
He was bound out to learn the harness maker’s trade, but after six
months ran away, and going to Pennsylvania worked at various occupations until
attaining manhood. He became a stone
mason, and eventually took contracts in Indiana for building railway bridges
over the Maumee river.
While there he met Lyman C. Beard, and through his influence was
induced to come to California, the trip being made overland through Texas and
Mexico and thence from Mazatlan by sailing vessel to San Francisco, eighty days
being passed upon the water. Upon
landing in San Francisco in 1849, Mr. Winton went at once to the Mission
San Jose where his friend Mr. Beard lived, and thenceforward made that
place his headquarters. He went to the
mines in northern California for two or three years, but was not successful,
and finally returned to the Mission San Jose and for a time engaged in raising
vegetables in that community. In 1851,
he squatted on a piece of land near San Lorenzo, and also farmed between six
and seven hundred acres, raising grain and potatoes successfully for some
years. He eventually located in
Haywards, and there built his home upon forty acres, which were a part of a
four-hundred-acre tract, the remainder being located about one mile from the
town. This was purchased in the early
‘60s and was rented until 1876, when his son Frank was of an age to assist
materially in its management, the two then undertaking the work. The home place was set to fruit and in many
ways improved and brought to a high state of cultivation. He made his home in Haywards until his death,
at the age of eighty-two years and four months, which event removed from the
community a man whose life might well serve for an example, both in the matter
of material welfare and the strength and dignity of his citizenship. Although unable to secure an education by the
ordinary means, he yet lost no opportunity to improve along the lines of mental
culture. Being a natural student he gave
every attention to study that his busy life would allow, becoming a well-read
man and was thoroughly in touch with all modern events. The business ability which he possessed is
evidenced by the success which he achieved against heavy odds.
The marriage of Mr. Winton occurred
May 1, 1855, and united him with Lydia J. Bucknall,
a native of Maine, who came to California in 1853 by way of Cape Horn in
company with her brother, Dr. Bucknall. They located near Centerville, Alameda county, where Dr. Bucknall
became a prominent physician and one of the county’s most enterprising
citizens. He laid out the road between
Centerville and Alvarado and was an important factor in the development of the
country. Mrs. Winton made her home
at San Lorenzo and Haywards dying in the old homestead at Haywards
November 19, 1883, when about sixty-one years of age. She was a member of the Congregational
Church. She was the mother of five children. Of these, Frank C. was born in San
Lorenzo February 8, 1857. His
boyhood was spent in his native town and Haywards, where he attended the public
school. He being the eldest son, when
about nineteen he took virtual charge of the large ranch of four hundred acres
(being debarred from further study on account of having trouble with his eyes),
and at once began to set out an orchard and superintend the management of the
place. October 28, 1883, he married
Julia Strobridge, of Haywards, and they are now the parents of four
children: Frank N., Harry S.,
Julia and Meroe. In his political
affiliations he is a Republican, but has never desired official recognition. In connection with his brother,
Henry N., he was appointed administrator of their father’s estate. The second child, Mary E., became the
wife of L. M. Turner, who is located on the home ranch;
Fannie B. makes her home on the old place; Henry N. is a physician
located in Haywards; and Emma L. married C. S. Long and died
July 22, 1901, at the age of thirty-six years.
Crayton Winton was a stanch[sic]
Republican in his political convictions and was active in the promotion of the
principles he endorsed. During the Civil
war he was especially active in the raising of money, putting up $500 himself
for the sanitary fund. He was one of the
Vigilance Committee and helped stand guard over Cary and Casey. Fraternally he was a member of Eucalyptus
Lodge F. & A. M., of Haywards.
[Inserted by D. Toole]
Crayton Winton
1883
Nov 19, San Francisco Bulletin, P3, San Francisco, California
Winton
– In Haywards, November 13, Lydia J., wife of Curtis[sic]
Winton, a native of Maine, aged 60 years, 4 months and 1 day.
1887
Jan 10, P4, San Francisco Bulletin, San Francisco, California
On
the Farm
Experiences
of Experimental and Practical Farmwork
Cheerful
Planters <snipped>
Cheerful
Farmers
Farmers
looked down in the mouth this week over the continued dry weather. The only man we met who was anyways cheerful
was Crayton Winton, who was too busy putting in his
crop to commence growling. He cheered
the boys up by telling them the rain would come in plenty time, and for them to
get in their crops while the weather was fine.
Another old-timer, well versed in the weather, was not alarmed at the
present dry spell and was getting his crop in as fast as possible, predicting a
big storm before many days. Nothing like keeping a stiff upper lip and whistling up a rain. Try it.
Haywards Journal.
1890
Feb 3, Oakland Tribune, P6, Oakland, California
Haywards
Journal
C.
Winton has just recovered form a severe attack of
pneumonia.
1891
Feb 18, Oakland Tribune, P3, Oakland, California
Mount
Eden
Haywards
Journal
An
extensive area of new orchard has been set out in this vicinity the past two
weeks. D. Pestdorf,
Stensel Bros. and F. C. Winton being the planters.
1896
Oct 2, Daily Review, P3, Hayward, California
The
remains of W. W. Winton, who died at Oakland last week, were brought to Hayward
Wednesday and buried in the family plot at Lone Tree Cemetery. Mr. Winton was the father of Mrs. Waithwaite and was a nephew of C. Winton.
1899
Jul 7, The San Francisco Call, P11, San Francisco
Died
Everett
– In Haywards, Cal., July 5, 1899, Mrs. Margaret Andrew, mother of Crayton W. Everett, a native of Londonderry, Ireland,
aged 62 years 6 months and 5 days.
Funeral services will be held this day (Friday) at 12:30 o’clock, at the
residence of Mr. C. Winton, Haywards, Cal.
Interment private.
1903
Oct 22, San Francisco Chronicle, P9, San Francisco, California
Pioneer
Dies at an Advanced Age
Crayton Winton Passes Away at His Home, Where
He Had Lived for Half a Century
Haywards,
October 21 – Crayton Winton, one of the pioneer
residents of this section, died to-day at his home near here. Mr. Winton in company with the late William
Meek and W. C. Blackwood came to California in 1849 and settled near
here on the farm on which he continued to live up to the time of his
death. His orchard, which consists of
several hundred acres, is regarded as one of the finest in the State. Mr. Winton was a native of New York, and 82
years of age. His immediate family
consists of four children, Frank C. Winton, Dr. H. N. Winton,
Miss Fannie Winton and Mrs. Frank Turner.
Mrs. Winton died about ten years ago.
As yet no arrangements have been made for the funeral.
1942
Jan 2, San Francisco Chronicle, P14, San Francisco, California
Lovina Hund Was Wed
in Reno
Lovina Hund,
formerly Mrs. Hugh Brosnan, was married in Reno
Wednesday to Frank Nelson Winton, prominent land-owner of Hayward. Both the bride and her husband are
descendants of old California families.
Mr. Winton is the son of the late Frank Crayton
Winton, long a resident of Hayward and vice president and director of the Bank
of Hayward until his death a few months ago.
Mrs. Winton’s grandfather, James Harvey Strowbridge,
an engineer, came raound[sic] the Horn to California during the gold rush and later
helped to build the Southern Pacific
Railroad. R. Strowbridge
settled in Hayward in 1868 and his son and grandson continued living on the
family estate on Winton road. Frederick Hund, the bride’s father, came to California in the ‘50s
and settled in Benicia, owning and operating the first Palace Hotel there when
that bustling little town was the capital of the State. Later the Hunds
moved to San Francisco where their daughter was born and reared. The newlywed Wintons
will make their home in the charming old Winton house, and Miss Hund is closing her smart San Francisco shop to devote
herself to ranch life.
Transcribed by Donna Toole.
Source: History
of the State of California & Biographical Record of Coast Counties,
California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A. M., Pages 1019-1020. The Chapman
Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
© 2016 Donna Toole.
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