Contra
Costa County
Biographies
ALONZO
PLUMLEY
ALONZO PLUMLEY. Notwithstanding numerous discouragements, the
most serious of which resulted from the great drought of 1864, Mr. Plumley has worked his way from poverty to comfortable
circumstances, and now ranks among the most prosperous ranchers in the vicinity
of Byron, Contra Costa county. The position he has gained indicates the
possession of sterling traits of character.
As a boy he was handicapped by the death of his father, and the presence
of a stepfather in the home caused him to start out for himself at an age when
most boys have no responsibilities greater than the reciting of lessons in
their schools. A native of
St. Lawrence county, N.Y., born August 12,
1830, he is a son of Joseph and Sarah (Rider) Plumley,
and belonged to an old eastern family.
Although the fact of being forced out into the world at an early age was
in some respects a misfortune, it had the advantage of implanting within him
firmness and self-reliance, without which permanent progress can not be maintained.
For a time he lived in Cook county, Ill., where he rented land and
followed farming, also was employed in canal boating.
The year 1853 was the most important in
the life of Mr. Plumley, for it witnessed his
marriage and his arrival in California.
On the 1st of March, that year, he was united with
Miss Julia Chilson, a native of Massachusetts,
and a daughter of Joshua and Lovina (Cook) Chilson. On the 21st
of the same month he and his wife started on their wedding journey, which
consisted of a trip across the plains with team and wagon. Although long and tedious, the journey was
not especially dangerous and no misfortunes marked its course. On the 5th of May they crossed the
Missouri river, and on the 5th of August landed at Volcano, Amador
county, Cal., from which point they proceeded directly to Contra Costa county. The first
location of the young couple was in Pacheco valley, where he built a cabin and
began farming. In those days elk, deer, antelope and grizzly bears abounded, and it
was necessary to corral the hogs in order to prevent the bears from devouring
them. As Mr. Plumley
was an expert marksman, he often shot wild game and kept the family supplied
with an abundance of meat, besides meeting with some thrilling adventures in
the pursuit of game.
The experience of Mr. Plumley on his land resembled that of other early settlers,
for he found he had located on a grant and hence was obliged to sell his
improvements and seek a new location. In
1858 he took up a claim in the Morgan territory, and began stocking the place
with cattle. Affairs progressed nicely
and he was getting a good start when the drought of 1864 came with its
discouraging effects. Hoping to save his
cattle he drove them over the country seeking pasturage, but none was to be
found. In their search for green feed
the cattle drifted for miles and thus were lost, while those that remained
perished for want of feed. To add to his
troubles, a severe illness prostrated him for a time and then came the flood
with its train of disaster and destruction.
Forced to begin anew, he decided to secure another tract of land. During his travels over the plains he had
noticed that around Point of Timber the soil seemed particularly fertile, and
this led him to remove to the quarter-section near Byron that formed the scene
of his activities in later years. The
feed being excellent here, he took up sheep-raising and at one time had a flock
of six thousand head. Later he turned
his attention to cattle-raising, in which, although people predicted nothing
but loss for him, he met with a success so encouraging that others decided to
emulate his example. From time to time
he erected needed buildings for the shelter of stock and storage of grain. His fields of alfalfa are as fine as the
county affords. In his experiments with
fruits he learned that pears and grapes thrived, but other fruits did not
flourish, and he now has five acres in pears, and a vineyard of four
acres. Of his original property he has
sold twenty acres to one son and twenty acres to another, and a house has been
built on one of these tracts. His
attention has been given so closely to farming and stock-raising that he has
not mingled in public affairs, nor associated himself with any fraternal
organization other than the Ancient Order of United Workmen, in which he has
served officially for twenty years.
Twelve children comprise the family of
Mr. and Mrs. Plumley, namely: Lovina E., who
married Martin Roberts, has three children Marvin, Sylvester and Elwin; Sarah E.,
who resides in Washington, became the wife of Henry Sedge, and their children
are Ella, Olive, Maude, Henry, Willard, Lillian and Alonzo; Charles E., is
a carpenter; Olive A. is the wife of W. M. Moore, and has four
children, Maude, Laverne, Chester and Albert; Ida E., deceased, was
married to A. F. Byer and had four children, Virgil, Ethel, Eugene
and John; Alonzo M. married Elizabeth Livingston, by whom he has one
child, Henry; Lorenzo G. married Jane Gann, and has one son, Rodney;
Willard O. is the next in order of birth; Emma L., the wife of
Charles L. Prichard, has two children, Hershel and Lloyd;
Edith O. married Henry Prestley, and they have
three children, Susie, Maude and Ardith;
Lillie J., wife of J. H. Sobey, has
two sons, Russel and Darrell; and L. Maude is at home with her parents.
Transcribed by Donna Toole.
ญญญญSource: History
of the State of California & Biographical Record of Coast Counties,
California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A. M., Pages 734-735. The Chapman
Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
ฉ 2015 Donna Toole.
Contra Costa County Biographies