Sacramento County
Biographies
JOHN L. ANDERSON
JOHN L. ANDERSON.--A resident of Sacramento County since the spring of 1866, almost his entire life, having been brought hither by his parents when he was a babe, John L. Anderson was born at Waukon, Allamakee County, Iowa, September 12, 1865. He is a son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Vile) Anderson, natives of Yorkshire and Devonshire, England, respectively, their marriage occurring in New York State, whither they had immigrated. Later they removed to Allamakee County, Iowa, where he was a farmer. In 1866 Mr. Anderson brought his wife and two children via New York City and the Panama Isthmus to San Francisco and soon afterwards they located on a 160-acre farm just north of Franklin. He was successful as a farmer and added to his holdings, owning 290 acres. He made his home on the place until he died in 1911, at eighty-two years of age, his widow surviving him two years. Two of the four children born of their union grew up, but John L. is the only one living and was reared in Sacramento County from the time he was six months old, so is to all intents and purposes a native son, as this is the scene of his first recollections. The only thing standing in the way of his claiming membership is the fact that he was born just before his parents started for the Golden West. Receiving a good education in the local school, at the same time he was assisting his father and making himself generally useful, he learned farming in its various details and became adept at driving the big teams used in grain-farming. His father brought the first header used in the vicinity of Franklin about the year 1871. For five years Mr. Anderson had a foothill ranch where he resided, but he sold and returned to the valley ranch. When the Western Pacific Railroad was built through they gave right of way through their ranch, and afterwards Mr. Anderson subdivided a portion of his place as Franklin Farms Subdivision No. 1, having sold off about 100 acres in small tracts.
Mr. Anderson is a liberal and enterprising man and believes the best way to build up and improve the county is to supply the new settlers with smaller farms, so that by intensive farming production will be increased many fold and thus sustain a much larger population, as well as making the county a great deal richer. He is well posted on early day history and landmarks, has a retentive memory and is an interesting conversationalist. Fraternally, Mr. Anderson is a member of Sacramento Lodge No. 1020, L. O. O. Moose.
Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
Source: Reed, G.
Walter, History of Sacramento County,
California With Biographical Sketches, Page 752. Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, CA.
1923.
© 2007 Jeanne Taylor.