MICHAEL NUGENT

Butte County

Biographies

MICHAEL NUGENT

MICHAEL NUGENT.—A native son of Butte County, Michael Nugent was born near Gridley, April 3, 1874, the son of Patrick and Kate (Sullivan) Nugent, who were born in Ireland and Australia, respectively. His father came to California by way of the Isthmus of Panama, landing in San Francisco, where he was married, and then he located in Butte County, purchasing a farm eight miles southwest of Gridley. He followed farming until his death. Of this marriage were born five children, of whom Michael is the second youngest; he was reared to the life of a farmer, and was sixteen years of age when his father died.

The boys continued farming together for many years, but for the last twenty years Michael has been in partnership with his brother Richard as Nugent Brothers, leasing land and raising grain and cattle, in which they are very successful. They operate their ranch with a Holt seventy-five horse power caterpillar and a combined harvester, having about seven hundred acres in barley and wheat, the balance being used for grazing, as they run about two hundred head of cattle, their brand being an N on the right hip. They own a ranch five miles west of Gridley, where they operate a dairy.

Mr. Nugent was married in Marysville, being united with Miss Esther Keppel, a native daughter of Butte County. Whose father, Garret Keppel, was a pioneer rancher of the county. They have seven children: Doris, Norman, Esther, Joseph, Michael, Lowell, and Allen. For some years Mr. Nugent was a trustee of the West Liberty School district... He is a Democrat and has been a member of the grand jury.

Transcribed by Kim Buck.

Source: "History of Butte County, Cal.," by George C. Mansfield, Pages 1100-1101, Historic Record Co, Los Angeles, CA, 1918.

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