Butte County
Biographies
JOHN WESLEY STREETER
A hard-working and, luckily, well-to-do farmer, proud of his descent as the son of a high-minded pioneer who never lost an opportunity to help upbuild Biggs,—a pioneer who was fortunate in living at just that period when opportunity for such golden service was constantly being presented,—is John Wesley Streeter, who was born on March 9, 1869, the son of Daniel Streeter, a native of Quincy, Ill. The latter married Miss Louisa Sligar, who is still living and resides at Biggs, and took up property here in 1852. Everybody who remembers Daniel Streeter speaks of him in the highest terms, praising his public-spiritedness, and what he accomplished, especially in the late nineties and early seventies, in welcoming settlers and industries, capital and business to Biggs. He gave the ground for the first school-site here, and for quite a quarter of a century served as a school trustee. He welcomed the railway, when so many, in particular farmer-folk, opposed its coming, and helped establish the local creamery. It was he, also, in conjunction with T. R. Fleming, who first conceived the project of a great irrigating system. He died in 1901, aged seventy-two.
Seven children bore Daniel Streeter’s honored name: William resides at Biggs; as does Olive, who is now Mrs. W. H. Donahoo; Mattie is the wife of Nelson E. Mabrey, principal of the grammar schools at Hayward; John Wesley, next in the order of birth, is the subject of this sketch; Thomas lives with John; Nora married A. F. Fuller and is deceased; and Edith is the wife of William Cummings, of Biggs.
Beginning work as a boy on the farm, since which time John Wesley has always been a steady worker, he attended the public schools and in 1897 married Miss Clara Little, the daughter of Mrs. M. E. Little, who then lived at Biggs, but now resides in Illinois. After a very happy domestic life, Mrs. Streeter died, leaving two children: Clarence, a graduate of the Biggs high school, and Mabel, now at home, who was only three when her mother died. Decidedly in favor of Christian institutions, Mr. Streeter contributed substantially to build the Baptist Church at Biggs.
He owns two hundred forty acres of choice land, and further busies himself looking after his mother’s property and crop interests.
Mr.
Streeter’s mother was the daughter of Thomas and Mary Ann (Kyker) Sligar, of
Tennessee, and his grandfather died in Missouri as a farmer. The grandmother
kept the family of twelve children together and finally, in 1867, crossed the
plains to California. Thus both Mr. Streeter’s paternal and maternal ancestors
were yeomen in the advance guard of American civilization.
Transcribed by Vicky
Walker, 1/2/08.
Source: "History of
Butte County, Cal.," by George C. Mansfield, Pages 596-597, Historic Record Co, Los Angeles, CA, 1918.
© 2007 Vicky
Walker.
Golden Nugget Library's Butte County Biographies