MRS. MARY SELLICK

Butte County

Biographies

MRS. MARY SELLICK

MRS. MARY SELLICK.--Among the many interesting old settlers in the vicinity of Chico, Mrs. Mary Sellick deserves special mention. She has prospered through good judgment, hard work and close application to business, and at the close of a long and useful life this fine old lady can be justly proud of her achievements. Few are privileged to attain the years of maturity that she has reached, for she was born in Bradford, Yorkshire, England, in the year 1833. Her father, Thomas Clifford, a manufacturer of cloth, and her mother, Leah (Barnett) Clifford, were natives of Bradford, where they both died. Of their family of ten children Mrs. Sellick is the only one now living and also the only one who came to America.

The oldest of the family, Mrs. Sellick was brought up in Bradford and educated in private schools. In her native place she became acquainted with Joseph Sellick, also a native of Bradford, born in 1827. He followed the occupation of gardener and coming to America, was employed in that capacity in the city of Boston, Mass. Catching the gold fever, in 1854 he came to San Francisco, California, via Panama. Not liking San Francisco he removed to the Sacramento Valley and in Chico became acquainted with General Bidwell, who was in need of a Gardner and into whose employ he entered, setting out the first orchards for him, combining gardening and horticulture for six years. At the end of this time, the spring of 1860, he returned to his old home in England and renewed the friendship with Miss Mary Clifford, whom he married on June 11, of that year. Money that he had previously loaned in Chico was the cause of his returning to America rather sooner then he anticipated, and he brought his bride with him to Chico, via Panama, in November, 1860. Deciding to engage in farming, he purchased four hundred eighty acres near what is now Nord, improving it and building on it, setting out an orchard and vineyard and raising grain. Later he sold one half of it, continuing to farm the remaining two hundred forty acres until his death, June 28, 1869, when he was past forty-one years of age.

In 1869, while Mr. Sellick was on his way to Oroville with a load of produce, his team ran away, which caused him to fall from the wagon and he was killed instantly. He had been a loving husband and an indulgent father and upon his death the County lost an enterprising and industrious citizen. Mrs. Sellick was left with four little children, the youngest child being a babe of thirteen months, but like a brave woman she took up the battle of life and began the management of the ranch and has met with financial success.

Their children: Charles Clifford, now a resident of Nord; William Joseph, railway agent for the Southern Pacific Railroad at Summit; Thomas J., died in 1865, aged two years; George Barnett, who farms the old home place, and Mary Ellen, now Mrs. Tangney of Exeter.

After the death of her husband Mrs. Sellick rented the land for several years. In July, 1877, taking her family of four children with her, she made a trip to England, where her father, brother and sister were still living. After fourteen months she returned to her California home, October, 1878, and began farming and raising grain and stock, in which she has continued ever since. Her son George B., now resides with her and operates the two hundred forty acres, mostly grain, for the last twenty years. In all these years she has never put a mortgage on the place, and at the age of eighty-five she is hale and hearty. Her religion is in practicing the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.” Of her nine grand children, one, her grandson Olney, is a member of the Second California Regiment; another grandson, Joseph Arthur, is a ship carpenter with the Union Iron Works in San Francisco.

Transcribed by Kim Buck.

Source: "History of Butte County, Cal.," by George C. Mansfield, Pages 849-850, Historic Record Co, Los Angeles, CA, 1918.

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