Butte County
Biographies
FRANCIS AUGUSTUS HECKART
FRANCIS
AUGUST HECKART--Nestling in a beautiful valley near Pentz,
lies the Heckart ranch, which has been in the
family’s possession since 1866. They are an old and highly esteemed
family, a representative of whom is Frank A. Heckart,
who was born near Freeport, Winneshiek County, Iowa, December
6, 1854. His father, Captain Adam Heckart, was
a native of Pennsylvania, a millwright by trade, who had married in
Pennsylvania Miss Elizabeth Boydborn. When the
news of the discovery of gold in California reached remote Pennsylvania, he
immediately made preparations to go to the new Eldorado.
So in 1849 he crossed the great prairies in an ox-team train, having been
chosen captain because he was a natural-born leader. Arriving in
California he mined on Sullivan’s Creek, in Tuolumne County, and was quite
successful, making an ounce of gold a day. After a time he returned East, intending to bring his family back; but his wife did
not wish to come at the time, thinking the undertaking incident to crossing the
plains with a family too great. He, however, removed to Missouri, where
the family remained. In 1859 he started for Pike’s Peak, Colorado; but on
the way up the Platte River he met many returning who gave discouraging reports
of the Pike’s Peak region, so he decided to come on through to California.
He again mined on Sullivan’s Creek, and afterwards returned to Missouri.
Next he moved his family to Winneshiek County, Iowa, and while living there
served a short time in an Iowa cavalry regiment in the Civil War. In 1865
he brought the family across the plains to California, and was again captain of
the ox-team train, which was composed of forty wagons and was one hundred forty
men strong, and well armed. The trip consumed six months, during the
summer of 1865. They came into California by way of the Honey Lake route,
down Magalia Ridge to the foot of the Clark Grade. Mr. Heckart rented a place over winter, and in the spring of
1866 bought a part of the present ranch as a possessory
claim. This he afterwards homesteaded; and later on, as he prospered at
stock-raising, he bought land adjoining. For some winters he mined in the
vicinity of Cherokee. He died at the age of eighty-six years, while his
wife reached the age of eighty-eight. Of their six children, four are
living: Catherine, Gertrude and William B., all residing on the old home
place, and Francis A., who is the youngest.
William B. Heckart served in the Third Iowa Regiment
in the Civil War. He was in the Georgia campaign and Sherman’s march to
the sea, and was twice wounded. After the war he came to California, in
1866, and has been engaged with the rest of the family in farming and
stock-raising, being associated with Francis A. Heckart
in the firm of Heckart Bros.
Frank Heckart, as he is familiarly called, was reared
and educated in Winneshiek County, Iowa, until his eleventh year, when he came
overland to California with his parents. He completed his education in
the Pentz district school, meanwhile assisting his
father, and learning the cattle business. When he came of age, he
preempted one hundred sixty acres, and also homesteaded one hundred sixty acres
six miles above Chaparral, which he uses for summer range. After his
father died, he continued on the home place in partnership with his brothers
and sisters, under the firm name of Heckart
Bros. They now own twelve hundred forty acres in the Pentz
district, fourteen miles from Oroville. On the ranch are two sets of
comfortable farm buildings. The place is well watered by large springs,
the flow from which is very abundant, sufficient to irrigate large areas for
raising corn and alfalfa, and vegetables of all kinds. These springs are
a very valuable asset to the property. The ranch is one of the best stock
ranches in the section, and sustains a large herd of high-grade polled Angus
cattle. The Heckart Bros.’ brand is A. H.,
while Mr. Heckart’s individual brand is F. H.
In Oroville, August 12, 1903, occurred the marriage of
Frank Heckart to Miss Annie L. Pearce, who was born
in Lyons, Iowa, the daughter of George and Olivia Ann (Aikin)
Pearce, natives of New Jersey. They came from Iowa to California in 1889,
and engaged in horticulture at Paradise. The father died at eighty-nine,
while the mother passed away at seventy-eight years of age. Annie L., the
youngest of their eight children, graduated from high school in Iowa. On
coming to California, she entered the Chico State Normal School, from which she
graduated, and then engaged in educational work until her marriage to Mr. Heckart. Mrs. Heckart is a
member of the Baptist Church. Both Mr. and Mrs. Heckart
are ardent Republicans. They are influential in their community, where
they are highly esteemed. Mr. Heckart has for
many years been a trustee of the Clear Creek school district, and has served as
clerk of the board. He is a member of the California Cattlemen’s
Association.
Transcribed
by Joyce Rugeroni.
Source: "History of
Butte County, Cal.," by George C. Mansfield, Pages 1029-1030, Historic Record Co, Los Angeles, CA, 1918.
© 2008 Joyce Rugeroni.
Golden Nugget Library's Butte County Biographies