Plumas
County
Biographies
RAYMOND E. YARRINGTON
Raymond E. Yarrington, long
identified with the lumber industry as a logging contractor, is a member of a
pioneer California family, which settled in the Sierra Valley in a very early
day. His father, Halsey Joel Yarrington,
who was a native of Vermont, came around the Horn to California in 1849, and
took up a claim within what is now the city of San Francisco. He there became subject to asthma, which necessitated
a change of location, so he moved to the mountains. Coming to the Sierra Valley, he camped at the
spring about two miles northwest of Sattley, and at once took such a liking to
the location that he took up a claim of government land, on which he made
improvements. He preempted a piece of
land and later homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres. He carried on ranching operations, kept
cattle and horses, and also maintained a roadhouse for the accommodation of
freighters who traveled between Truckee and the Johnstown and Eureka Mills mines. He was married to a Miss Lockhart in
Pennsylvania prior to first coming west.
He and his young wife came across the Isthmus of Panama and after
arriving at San Francisco they went up to Marysville, through the mountains by
way of Downieville, crossing the Yuba Pass, which was then only a trail. They had one child born in Pennsylvania,
Ella, who was the widow of Frank Van and who died in Mohawk, Plumas County, on
September 20, 1930. After their arrival
in California, Mr. and Mrs. Yarrington had seven children, namely: George of Sacramento; Lester Lee, of San
Jose; Mrs. Jessie Robinson, a widow, who is a telephone operator at Blairsden,
Plumas County; Mrs. Lizzie McKenzie, a widow, who resides in Sierraville; Halsey
J., who was killed in a railroad accident at Portola three years ago, leaving a
widow and one child; Raymond E., of this review; and Grace H., who was the wife
of Will Mulgrew, of Oakland, where she was living when she died of the
influenza during the epidemic.
Raymond E. Yarrington attended the
public school at Rocky Point, in the Sierra Valley, that being the name given
to one of the first schools, as well as one of the first post offices, in this
locality. His mother was the first
postmaster at that place. He also
attended the Calpine school, and when eighteen years
of age began his connection with the lumber industry. Logging has been his life work and he is an
expert at it. He has served as
superintendent of logging camps for various lumber companies, including the
Turner Lumber Company, at Sattley; the Roberts Lumber Company, at Loyalton; was
foreman of the Davies camp for seven years; the Davies-Johnson Lumber Company
at Calpine, and was logging superintendent for the Verdi Lumber Company for a
number of years and lumber camp boss in the Clover Valley for the Clover Valley
Lumber Company for two years. Mr.
Yarrington and A. C. McElroy engaged in the logging contract business as
partners for several years, but because of the present business depression they
are not now contracting.
On November 1, 1905, at Sierraville,
Mr. Yarrington was united in marriage to Miss Linna Dora Blatchley, a daughter
of L. L. Blatchley, the pioneer blacksmith of Sierraville, now seventy-two
years of age. He has lived in
Sierraville since he was seven years old, having come here from Marysville with
this father, William L. Blatchley, who also was a blacksmith. Despite his advanced age, Mr. Blatchley is
still conducting his blacksmith shop at Sierraville. Mr. and Mrs. Yarrington have one child, Amy,
who is a student in the University of Nevada, at Reno. There was also a son, Clarence, who was
accidentally killed at the age of twenty-three years, while engaged in logging.
Mr. Yarrington is a member of the
Masonic fraternity, belonging to the blue lodge at Sierraville, of which he is
secretary the chapter of Royal Arch Masons; Sacramento Commandery, No. 2, K.
T.; and Ben Ali Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., of Sacramento. He has membership in the Ancient Egyptian
Order of Sciots at Reno, Nevada, and is also affiliated with the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows at Sierraville. In
the latter fraternity he is a past grand and past chief patriarch, while both
he and his wife belong to the Rebekah lodge at Sierraville, of which Mrs.
Yarrington is a past noble grand. In his
political views he is a staunch Republican and has always stood for those
things which concern the well-being of the community in which he lives. He has prospered because of his industry and
ability and ranks among Sierraville’s respected citizens.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
Wooldridge, J.W.Major History of Sacramento Valley
California, Vol. 3 Pages 324-325. Pioneer Historical
Publishing Co. Chicago 1931.
© 2010
Gerald Iaquinta.