Butte County
Biographies
NATHANIEL H. & CAROLINE THOMASSON
NATHANIEL H. AND CAROLINE
THOMASSON.--Among the honored pioneers of Butte County, mention is due the late
Nathaniel H. Thomasson, who was born in Tennessee,
March 30, 1836, and died on his Butte County Ranch, on November 28, 1893. In
young manhood he went to Missouri, and in 1853 came to the Pacific Coast to
seek his fortune in the goldfields of California. He did not mine for very
long, as the gold did not seem to come his way, and he determined to go to
farming. He bought a ranch and settled down, and met with deserved success from
the first, although he had his troubles, as did the other ranchers, in low
prices, drought, etc. He raised large bands of sheep and cattle, and as he
succeeded he added to his holdings until he became owner of thousands of acres.
He was married at Richardson
Springs, September 17, 1876, to Miss Caroline Richardson, who was born in
Morgan County, Ind., December 24, 1853, a daughter of Thomas B. Richardson, who
was born in Virginia, on December 4, 1800. From Virginia, Mr. Richardson moved
to Indiana, Missouri, and Iowa, successively, and, in 1875, came on to
California and made his home with his son at Richardson Springs. He died at the
home of Mr. Thomasson in 1878. His wife, who was
formerly Eliza Chamberlain, a native of Kentucky, also died in California, in
March, 1889.
To Mr. and Mrs. Thomasson were born six children, five of them now living,
namely: Effie M., wife of W. H. Bruce; Beryl Verne; Lester Keith, who married
Mary Woodward; Zelma L., wife of Warren Stevens; and Nathaniel H. Jr. After the death of Mr. Thomasson
his widow continued living on the ranch, and, with the aid of her eldest son,
carried on the ranch interests. When she died, Beryl Verne was made executor of
her estate. The Thomasson family has always been
identified with the best interests of Butte County and has contributed towards
all movements for its upbuilding. At the passing of
Mr. and Mrs. Thomasson the county lost two of its
most highly esteemed pioneers.
Transcribed by Sande Beach.
Source: "History of
Butte County, Cal.," by George C. Mansfield, Page 437, Historic Record Co, Los
Angeles, CA, 1918.
© 2006 Sande Beach.
Golden Nugget Library's Butte County Biographies