Butte County
Biographies
FRED ROLLINS
FRED ROLLINS. – Both Fred Rollins and his father before him have
been identified with the agricultural development of Butte County. The father,
Henry Hart Rollins, was a native of Maine, born in 1842, and came to California
in 1856, when a lad of fourteen, with his brother-in-law, Jerry Metcalf. He
followed mining for a time, then the sawmill business in Paradise, Butte
County. After these two ventures, he engaged in ranching, purchasing a ranch at
Biggs, and remained there until his death, in 1910. He married, in Sutter
County, Lydia Richardson, born in Springfield, Ill.; she crossed the plains in
a prairie schooner, with her parents, when in her seventh year. They were Southerners, the father was Ambrose Richardson, a native of
Kentucky, and the mother, Mary (Thomas) Richardson, of Alabama. Grandfather
Richardson was a farmer in Illinois and brought the family across the plains in
1862, first settling in Sutter County, and later at Biggs; he afterwards
returned East and died there. Grandmother Richardson
died in California. Since her husband’s death, Mrs. Henry Hart Rollins makes
her home on her little fruit ranch at Biggs. She is the mother of two children;
Charles, now engaged in lumbering at Eureka; and Fred,
of this review.
The son of these pioneers of the county,
Fred Rollins was born at Biggs, June 20, 1876, and received his education in
the public schools of Flora District and at Biggs. He assisted on the home
ranch until reaching his majority when he began work for himself, on other
ranches. He was with L. H. McIntosh, a large rancher and breeder of standard
horses in Chico, for thirteen years; after the first three years, during which
time he helped build the speedway, he was made ranch foreman by Mr. McIntosh,
continuing in that capacity for ten years. The confidence in him is seen when,
at the end of that time, he became a partner of Mr. McIntosh in his ranching
operations. They ran the McIntosh Adobe Ranch and leased the Jacob Entler Ranch, Mr. Rollins superintending both ranches. They
continued in partnership for two years, then divided
their interests and Mr. Rollins continued ranching, alone. He leased the Morgan
and James Ranch of twelve hundred acres, at Nelson, and began operating it,
raising grain and stock, planting about one half of the ranch to grain each
year, while one half is summer fallowed. In 1915 he began raising sheep, and
for that purpose purchased about one thousand ewes of the Shropshire
strain, and has met with unusual success in the business, having now about two
thousand in his flock. In 1917, Mr. Rollins leased the Judge Lott Ranch, of
twenty-two hundred acres, at Durham, and moved his headquarters there, though
still retaining his Nelson ranch. He has about fourteen hundred acres of this
ranch in grain, and uses the balance for stock, using it for headquarters in
his sheep-raising operations as well as his ranching, as there are plenty of
water, shade and feed for his stock. He operates the ranch under his personal
supervision, using a sixty-five horse-power Caterpillar tractor, and during the
season runs it night and day. He harvests the crop with a Haynes-Houser
combined harvester, and one eight-mule team is also kept busy. Mr. Rollins is a
rancher of the new school and has made a record-showing in a comparatively
short time. A “hustler,” as are all self-made men, he has made rapid strides in
his development work, and the future holds even greater achievements for men of
his caliber, who are the real backbone of any county.
Mr. Rollins married, in 1901, in Chico,
Miss Helen Ford, who was born in Missouri, and three children have blessed
their union: Bertha R., attending the Chico State Normal; Genevieve; and Walter
Henry. Mr. Rollins is a member of Chico Camp, Modern Woodmen of America, and
also belongs to the Eagles. In political questions he supports the Republican
platform.
Transcribed by Marie Hassard
12 May 2008.
Source:
"History of Butte County, Cal.," by George C. Mansfield, Pages
914-915, Historic Record
Co, Los Angeles, CA, 1918.
© 2008 Marie Hassard.
Golden Nugget Library's Butte County Biographies