Placer
County
Biographies
GEORGE D. KELLOGG
A well known representative of the
business interests in Newcastle, Placer County, is George D. Kellogg, who is
now a prominent fruit-grower, buyer and shipper of all kinds of fruits. He is a native of the state of New York, born
in Litchfield, Herkimer County, on the 23rd of June, 1843. He traces his ancestry back to Samuel
Kellogg, one of the Puritans who landed from the Mayflower at Plymouth
Rock. His grandfather, Noah Kellogg,
fought under Washington in the Revolution.
Several generations of the family have resided in Connecticut.
Nathaniel Kellogg, the father of our
subject, was born in Rome, New York, on the 23rd of August, 1797,
and married Miss Sarah Sizer, a native of Russell,
Massachusetts, a descendant of Colonel Sizer, who was
General Washington’s private secretary and was of English, French and
Portuguese ancestry, representing the families of those nationalities that
early located in the colonies. Nathaniel
Kellogg was a farmer, and in May, 1847, removed to Wisconsin, locating on a
tract of land adjoining what is now the site of the city of Madison. The State University agricultural farm was
afterward on a portion of the land which he entered from the government in
pioneer days, and developed from its primitive condition to a high state of
cultivation. He attained the age of
eighty-eight years and died in 1886, while is wife
departed this life in August, 1899, at the age of ninety-four years. They were Methodists in religious faith, and
were the parents of eleven children, four sons and seven daughters, nine of the
family still surviving.
George D. Kellogg was the youngest
of the four sons. He was educated in the
public schools of Madison, Wisconsin, and was just ready to enter the State
University in the nineteenth year of his age, when his country’s urgent call
for volunteers to aid in suppressing the Rebellion caused him to put aside his
idea of pursuing a collegiate course and join the army. The blood of the Revolutionary heroes was in
him and with the example of the illustrious ancestor before him, and prompted
by the spirit of patriotism, he went forth in defense of the country, enlisting
August 6, 1862, with Company A, Twenty-third Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. He served in the Army of the Tennessee,
Mississippi and of the Gulf under Grant, Sherman and Canby and for ninety-seven
days he was constantly under fire. He participated
in seventeen battles and for forty-seven consecutive days was engaged in
fighting at the siege of Vicksburg. He
was never absent from his company for a single day, and though the missiles of
death flew thick around him and his comrades fell on every side he never
received a scratch. Two years after the
great struggle for the supremacy of the Union, Governor Lucius
Fairchild of Wisconsin commissioned him brevet captain for meritorious services
in the charge on Vicksburg. He had
enlisted in August, 1862, and remained at the front until honorably discharged
on the 26th of July, 1865, having faithfully served his country for
three years. He returned to his home a
hero and a victor and his splendid army record is one of which he has every
reason to be proud.
In 1869 Mr. Kellogg was happily
married to Miss Lavinia H. Huntington, of Mazomanie,
Wisconsin, a daughter of John Huntington, an English gentleman. Her mother, Miss Ellanor
Hughes, was of Welsh ancestry. They
removed to Moundville, Vernon County, Missouri, and Mr. Kellogg engaged in
farming there. On the 1st of
April, 1875, he started for California.
Their daughter, Jessie M., was born in Moundville, Vernon County,
Missouri, May 10, 1875, and is now living with her father at his pleasant home
in Newcastle, California. She is a
graduate of the University of the Pacific Conservatory of Music, and is a very
proficient musician and musical instructor.
In August, 1875, Mrs. Kellogg, with the two children, joined her husband
in their California home, where Mr. Kellogg had a position as a bookkeeper for
the Bear River Mill Company at Alta.
Their oldest son, Herbert, died at the age of three years. The other son, George H., has been added to
the family since its arrival in California, his birth having occurred in Alta,
Placer County, March 4, 1877. He is at home and assists his father in his
fruit-shipping business, as head bookkeeper.
The family remained at Alta for a time, but on the 15th of
November, 1878, removed to Newcastle where they still reside. Mr. Kellogg’s home ranch, which adjoins the
town, contains sixty acres, and on it he has orchards of choice fruits. There is also a very pleasant and delightful
residence and an air of culture and refinement pervades the place. In addition to this farm he now has several
tracts of land in different parts of the county and town devoted to the growing
of both deciduous and citrus fruits. In
1881 he established his fruit buying and shipping business and he now has a
large fruit-packing house and evaporator, and convenient offices, supplied with
all the appliances needful for the conduct of his business in modern
style. He has a splendid display of the fruits
of this section in large glass jars. He
has a very large trade and finds a ready sale in the market for the products of
his own orchards and any other fruit which he handles, and is thoroughly
informed on horticulture in many of its branches. He has been very active and prominent in promoting
fruit-culture in Placer County, and this has contributed in a large measure to
its prosperity, for this industry has now become one of the most important in
northern California. In his business
methods he is ever honorable and straightforward and he also enjoys the reputation
of being one of the most progressive and liberal men of his town. He takes a very deep interest in everything
pertaining to the welfare of Newcastle and his name always heads the
subscription list of any enterprise that is being established for public
benefit.
Mr. Kellogg’s aid and interest in
church work is of the most commendable character. He is a very zealous and consistent member of
the Methodist Church of Newcastle, giving his time and means freely to its
support and to the advancement of its welfare.
He became a member of the church in 1867 and since that time has been
very active and earnest in its work, always ready to aid in any movement for
its upbuilding and progress, yet at the same time performing his labors in the
spirit of the admonition, “Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand
doeth.” Since coming to Newcastle he has
served as the recording steward of the church, as trustee steward and for
twenty-one years been the faithful and loved superintendent of the
Sunday-school. It is safe to say that
during the last two decades he has become known to every child and young person
in the town, and in them he takes a very deep interest. His cordial greeting, kindly manner and words
of advice and assistance are treasured by them, and it is safe to say that no
man in Newcastle is more beloved by the young that Mr. Kellogg. His high Christian character and good work
are admired even by those not connected with the church, and in his life he has
certainly obeyed the injunction, “Let your light so shine before men that they
may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” In 1900 Mr. Kellogg had the honor of being
elected a lay delegate to represent the Methodist Church of California at the
general conference held at Chicago. He
discharged the duties of this office in the most creditable manner, as a
representative of the California church.
In politics he may be termed a
Republican-Prohibitionist, endorsing many of the principles of the Republican
Party and at the same time strongly favoring the prohibitionist movement. He is ever ready to do what he can to rescue
his fellow men from the curse of intemperance and is identified with the
Independent Order of Good Templar’s, in which order he has served them as grand
chief templar for two terms, and as a representative to the supreme lodge. He also belongs to the Ancient Order of
United Workmen and to the Grand Army of the Republic, and was one of the
organizers of the Colonel E. D. Baker Post, No. 71. He acted as its first commander and has since
continued to be one of its most reliable members. He and his family have the high regard and
respect of a host of friends.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
“A Volume of Memoirs and Genealogy of Representative Citizens of Northern
California”, Pages 750-753. Chicago Standard Genealogical Publishing Co. 1901.
© 2010
Gerald Iaquinta.