Butte County
Biographies
HENRY CLAY COMPTON
H. C. COMPTON.--A lineal descendant of William Compton, who, as a soldier in a New York regiment, carried a musket in the Revolutionary War, in which he was wounded, H. C. Compton is a native son of Butte County. He was born January 18, 1864, a son of the late H. C. Compton, and his wife Mary (Murdock) Compton, mention of whom is made on another page of this history.
H. C. Compton was reared in Butte County until he was eight years of age, then was taken by his parents to Colusa County and, in 1872, to Modoc County. The next year the Modoc Indian war came on and that fall the family returned to Butte County and took up their home on the Compton Ranch, on the York road, where they lived until 1878, when they went to near Princeton, Colusa County, where his father had bought a ranch of nineteen hundred twenty-five acres. He attended the publics schools, Mrs. White’s private school, Woodman’s Academy, all of Chico, and the Pierce Christian College at College City.
In 1883, in partnership with his brother, Adam M., he began farming on the Stone Valley Ranch in Glenn County and in 1885 they leased a part of the Murdock Ranch (known as the old Adobe Ranch), west of Willows, operating it three years. In 1895, H. C. purchased his brother’s interest and farmed alone, leasing the whole of the Adobe Ranch of five thousand acres, three thousand of which was under the plow. He added to his responsibilities, in 1896, by leasing the Stone Valley Ranch from the William Murdock Estate, purchasing the stock and equipment and operating some seventeen thousand acres. He ran a large band of cattle and sheep, having as a partner his uncle, Hance Murdock. In 1902, or two years after the Murdock Estate was settled, Mr. Compton gave up the Adobe Ranch, but continued on the Stone Valley Ranch. In November, 1900, with his brothers and sisters, he purchased the Stone Valley Ranch and incorporated the Murdock Land Company with a capitalization of $100,000, with H. C. Compton as president and manager, a position he has since held, devoting to the company his time and the practical knowledge which his years of experience have given him. The Murdock Land Company began with twelve thousand five hundred acres, then bought adjoining land which brought their holdings to fourteen thousand acres west of Germantown, Glenn County, which is devoted to stock-raising. The company later bought thirty-six hundred acres, the tract lying in Glenn and Colusa Counties. Of late years they have specialized in sheep.
Aside from the management of these large interests, Mr. Compton has found time to branch out still further, for, in 1897, with his brother, Adam M., he bought the Northgraves place of six hundred eight acres, four miles south of Chico on the state highway. Here they began extensive improvements, setting out one hundred acres to peaches and almonds. In 1903, Mr. Compton bought the Briscoe Ranch of six hundred acres, which also lies south from Chico, and here they have one hundred acres in almonds. He resided on this ranch for five years, then purchased his present residence at the corner of Second and Chestnut Streets, in Chico.
November 10, 1897, in Princeton, Mr. Compton and Miss Henria Belle Packer were united in marriage. Mrs. Compton was born in Memphis, Tenn., a daughter of Henry Billington Packer, born in Clearfield County, Pa., in 1823. His mother was Orphia Wilson, a descendant of the Wilson who was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. H. B. Packer was captain of a steamboat running on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. In 1850, he crossed the plains with oxen to the gold-fields of California, but when about half way across he fell out with the other members of the party and struck out alone, completing the trip in safety. He mined in the vicinity of Downieville three years, then returned east to Illinois, via Panama, to make good his promise to the girl he was engaged to marry. She was Mary Elizabeth Judkins, born of old colonial stock near Boston, but who had come to Pike County, Ill., with her parents. His bride did not want to come to California at that time, so Mr. Packer engaged as a coal merchant at Memphis, and was a stockholder in the Riddle-Coleman Coal Company. He ran his steamer on the Mississippi River and met with success. During the Civil War he lost his business and boat; nothing daunted, he again started in the coal business. In 1878, he moved to Arkansas City, Ark., where he died in 1880. His wife died in Memphis, in 1891. Mrs. Compton was educated in that city, and in 1893, came to California, where she spent a part of her time with her uncle, George Packer, a pioneer who lived near Colusa. Mr. and Mrs. Compton have two daughters: Mary Jane and Anna Belle, graduates from the Chico High School, class of 1918.
Mr. Compton is a member of the Odd Fellows at Willows and of the Elks of Chico. He is one of the most progressive business men of Northern California, and is known far and wide as a stockman of high repute. He is a stockholder in the Butte County National Bank and Butte County Savings Bank, and a director in the former.
Emphatically
a man of energy, Mr. Compton is never idle and is one of the most enterprising
and active men in Butte County, giving substantial encouragement to every plan
for the promotion of the public welfare. The name of Compton will always stand
out prominently in California. The first members of the family in this state
were forerunners of its development, and aided materially in bringing about the
prosperity we all enjoy. The younger generations are following in the footsteps
of their sires, and are found in the vanguard, where progress is the watchword;
and of these H. C. Compton is a recognized leader.
Transcribed by Vicky
Walker, 1/9/08.
Source: "History of
Butte County, Cal.," by George C. Mansfield, Pages 601-602, Historic Record Co, Los Angeles, CA, 1918.
© 2007 Vicky
Walker.
Golden Nugget Library's Butte County Biographies