JOHN W. GRAVES

Born in Dubuque, Iowa, April 20, 1858, John W. Graves was the youngest of three children born to Thomas and Mary (Wright) Graves, natives of England, who settled in Iowa, where the father died the year John was born. His mother married a second time to Samuel Stevenson and the family removed to Lockridge, Jefferson County, Iowa. Receiving his education in the public schools, John assisted on the home farm until 1878, when he concluded to come west. His intention was to come to Nevada where his brother, Thomas H., had located in 1871 and was doing well. However, our subject purchased a ticket through to San Francisco, intending to get off at Battle Mountain, but ere he had reached that point he had decided to go through to San Francisco, where he arrived in February, 1878. He came on to Calistoga, thence to Middletown, and on to Pope Valley, where he finally obtained employment on a ranch for Mr. Booth, the next year removing with him to Tehama County, and after a year there he came to Durham, Butte County, in 1880. Here he worked on the ranch for Mr. Booth’s son, continuing for a period of five years. Having saved some money, he and a partner bought an outfit and leased six hundred forty acres which they sowed to grain, but the land overflowed and drowned out the crop and he lost all he had made previously.

Mr. Graves was married about this time to Miss Elizabeth White, born in Durham, the daughter of Volney White, a pioneer and prominent farmer of Butte County. Mr. Graves continued to farm and raise stock, finally leasing the Cook ranch near Pentz, which he operated for two years. He then worked for others until finally he leased the Pentz ranch for two years. At the end of that time the ranch was sold, and he purchased his present ranch of eighty acres at Pentz, which he improved with a comfortable residence and suitable buildings, bringing water in pipes from the Miocene Canal for domestic use. He engaged in stock-raising in partnership with Cicero Brazelton, making a success, and built up a herd of about two hundred head. They continued in the cattle business together until the death of Mr. Brazelton, since which time he has been engaged in the same line on his own account, his brand being a G on the left hip. He leases other lands for hay and range, and is now raising cattle and sheep as well as turkeys for the market. One night in May, 1915, he sustained a heavy loss when his large barn filled with hay burned to the ground; his valuable horses and implements were also lost. However, he rebuilt the barn and continued his farming operations.

Mr. Graves was bereaved of his faithful wife in April, 1912. They were the parents of six children, as follows: William is mining and farming at Pentz; Ernest resides in Oroville; George is with the Pacific Gas and Electric Company and resides near Pentz; Bertha presides over her father’s home with much grace and assists him with his affairs; Agnes, Mrs. Boyd, lives in Mendocino County, and Effie, Mrs. Smith, resides in Hammond.

For many years Mr. Graves has been a trustee of the Mesilla Valley school district and has taken a deep interest in the cause of education.

Transcribed by Roseann Kerby.

Source: "History of Butte County, Cal.," by George C. Mansfield, Pages 1087-1088, Historic Record Co, Los Angeles, CA, 1918.

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