Butte County
Biographies
JOHN LEONIDAS HEATH
JOHN LEONIDAS HEATH.--An enterprising ranchman, once an extensive contractor, in John Leonidas Heath, who brings to his responsible task as foremen of the Dickson Dairy and Cattle Ranch a most valuable experience. He was born on December 15, 1874, two miles north of Biggs, the son of John B. and Mary (Boulware) Health. His father, born in Virginia was a planter, farmer, rancher and stockman, a member of a family who came west from Virginia to Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri and the Pacific Coast. Some of his ancestors were noted preachers in the Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1854 the father crossed the plains to California and landed in Marysville, from which point he came up to the Feather River. For some time he and his brother, Callaway Heath, were in the cattle business in Butte County, and after that John B. settled north of Biggs on a ranch of four hundred eighty acres. His wife was Mary Boulware, the daughter of Philip Boulware, and through her John Leonidas is connected with one of the most distinguished of Biggs pioneer families. Both parents are now dead. They had nine children, four of whom are still living.
On his father’s ranch, therefore, John grew up until he was fourteen, then he worked out by the month for other ranchers until he was twenty-six, when he commenced to do team work. Five years later he was married to Miss Eva Drew, daughter of Rodockway Drew, who married Elnora Louise Fremheim, who came to California in 1862 and resided at Live Oak, California. The subject of our sketch made Gridley his home in 1907, having before that been at Biggs, and removing only in 1914, in October of which year he came to the Dickson Ranch.
Mr. and Mrs. Heath are parents of nine children, one of whom—Jesse--died when he was three years old. Those still living are: Leon, Henry, John, Beryl, Louise, Helen, William, Ruth and Frederick (twins), the latter deceased. They constitute a happy family. Mr. Heath laid the foundation for his present work by farming for years, after which he became a team contractor. In that field he labored during his residence at Gridley, building roads and irrigation ditches and excavating. He then drifted into the dairy business, where he made the acquaintance of Fred W. Dickson, of San Rafael, Marin County, owner of the Dickson Ranch, and he accepted his present position of foreman. Since taking charge of the onE hundred fifty-seven acres now under him, Mr. Health has much improved the ranch by building a new stock-barn and tank-house, and surrounding the same with fences. He has there forty-two head of cattle, forty head of milch cows, and heifers, two Holstein bulls, and twenty graded Holstein calves.
Transcribed
by Joyce Rugeroni.
Source: "History of
Butte County, Cal.," by George C. Mansfield, Pages 1326-1327, Historic Record Co, Los Angeles, CA, 1918.
© 2010 Joyce Rugeroni.
Golden Nugget Library's Butte County Biographies