Butte County
Biographies
JOSEPH GIRARD
JOSEPH GIRARD.--A hard working, modest and unassuming citizen now living in Butte County is found in the person of Joseph Girard, who is ranching eight miles northeast of Chico, on Butte Creek, and who has met with very satisfactory returns from his labors. He was born in 1870, in Lake, Two Mountains County, thirty miles from Montreal, in the Province of Quebec. His father was also named Joseph Girard, and was a representative of an old and prominent French family in Quebec, while his wife, Emir Caginal, was also of French parentage. They had nine children, five of them now living, of whom Joseph is the oldest.
Joseph attended the public schools in his home district, but being the eldest of the family, his services were needed on the home farm as soon as he was old enough to go to work, in consequence his education was limited. When he was nineteen he came to California, being the first member of his family, to come to this state. Upon his arrival here he hunted up an old acquaintance, Charles Fortier, who was living near Norman, Glenn County, and who was an old settler of that locality. Mr. Girard was hired by his friend to work in his interests, at farm work, tending stock, and such labor as he found for him to do. He learned to drive the big teams in the fields and in time he became expert as a driver and in handling horses, he drove the combined harvester, which was drawn by thirty-two horses, and became so adept that it attracted the notice of other ranchers, and he was sought to drive for them, but he returned to Mr. Fortier’s and spent most of his time in his employ, working on his ranches at Norman and at Butte City, and later at Durham, remaining in his service for nine and one-half years.
Like all member of his nationality, Mr. Girard was frugal in his habits and saved his money, and soon was enabled to branch out for himself. He bought an outfit and, in 1900, began ranching on his own account, near Norman and for fifteen years he was engaged in raising grain and stock, in partnership with his brother, A. D. Girard. They had eighty acres, and this they later purchased. In the fall of 1913, Joseph Girard sold out his interest in the ranch, cattle and sheep, to his brother, and then moved to Butte County. He is now leasing two hundred ten acres northeast of Chico, and is raising alfalfa, cattle, hogs and turkeys; he also has a dairy of twenty cows, and in his operations he is meeting with good success. In politics, Mr. Girard is a Republican; and is much interested in the welfare of his section of California and willing at all times to do his duty as a citizen.
Transcribed
by Joyce Rugeroni.
Source: "History of
Butte County, Cal.," by George C. Mansfield, Page 1327, Historic Record Co, Los Angeles, CA, 1918.
© 2010 Joyce Rugeroni.
Golden Nugget Library's Butte County Biographies