Sacramento County
Biographies
JOEL
D. BAILEY
JOEL
D. BAILEY – Joshua T. Bailey, the father of the subject of this sketch, was a
native of Virginia. For a time he resided in Ohio, and in 1832 emigrated to Wisconsin,
where he carried on the business of smelting for six or seven years. He was
married at Fort Mineral Point, Ohio County (now Fayette County), January 13,
1833, to Miss Susan Hughes, daughter of David and Sarah (Pense) Hughes, who was
born February 28, 1815, in Licking County, Ohio. Her father emigrated from Ohio
to Illinois in 1818. He served under General Harrison in the war of 1812 and
died in Illinois in 1823. In 1828 Mrs. Bailey went to Wisconsin with her mother
and stepfather, Samuel Townsend, who has been dead several years. Her mother is
still living in Grant County, Wisconsin, at the age of ninety years, where she
was a pioneer. She has had many experiences in pioneer life; she has gone out
into the harvest field with the men and held her own, cutting grain with
sickles, although a small woman, for she had a strong constitution and great
strength. Mr. Bailey, with his son Joel, came to California in 1849. In 1853 he
went back to Wisconsin after his family. His wife and two daughters, and Mrs.
Bailey’s sister-in-law, Susan Hughes, came with a party of twenty-two men,
bringing with them some large heavy stock, such as horses, oxen, mules and
cattle, also seven wagons to hold provisions; as soon as one wagon was emptied
they discarded it. They were seven months in coming across, having to stop in
order to allow their cattle to feed by the way. On arriving, Mr. Bailey bought
land on the little dry hill close to where the family residence now is. The
house was put up in 1854; it was built by degrees, a small portion being put up
first in order that they might occupy it. He set out a fine vineyard of wine
grapes in 1862. He died June 11, 1886. Mrs. Bailey is still living and enjoying
good health at the present writing. She is seventy-two years old. They had
eleven children, viz.: Mrs. Belle Plumer, resident in Lee Township, Sacramento
County; Rachel Ann (deceased), wife of Mr. Ross, of this county; Joel D.
Bailey, Joseph James (deceased), George W., resident in Templeton, San Luis
Obispo County; Frank, resident in Arizona; William Henry (deceased); Mrs.
Nellie Blair, wife of Albert Blair, of Sacramento; Charles H., resident near
Hicksville, Sacramento County; Joshua T., resident in Brighton Township; and
Edwin, who died young. Mrs. Bailey, in her girlhood, was in Wisconsin during
the Indian troubles, and had to go to Fort Funk for protection in the month of
April, and did not get out until the following October. She and another girl
made cartridges for the garrison when the ammunition was exhausted. Joel D.
Bailey, the subject of this sketch, came to this State in 1849 with his father,
landing in Placerville the 10th of September. From that time he
wandered about from place to place in the northern part of the State. When his
father located on White Rock Spring, in Sacramento County, he was with him and
remained there for about six months. Then he went to Yreka. In the winter of
1851-’52 he started for Wisconsin via Panama, stopping at Tehama on the
Sacramento River. In 1853 he returned to California, crossing the plains with
cattle and bringing them to this county. In 1857 he took up 160 acres adjoining
his father’s ranch. He was married September 27, 1871, to Nancy Newingham, a
native of Hancock County, Illinois, born January 18, 1844. In 1852 she crossed
the plains with her parents, Absalom and Mary Newingham, one sister and a
brother. On the journey her father died of cholera. Arriving at Portland,
Oregon, the family stopped there a short time, then came to Sacramento County
in December 1852. Her mother is now the wife of R.H. Lee, and resides in
Brighton Township. She started for the East in 1854, on the Yankee Blade, and
when twenty-four hours out the steamer struck a rock and was wrecked; thirty
lives were lost, but Mrs. Newingham and her family were saved. Mr. and Mrs.
Bailey have two sons: William Francis, born September 27, 1872, and Charles
Augustus, born October 17, 1874.
Transcribed by Debbie Gramlick.
Source: Davis, Hon. Win. J., An Illustrated History of Sacramento County, California. Pgs. 461-462. Lewis Publishing Company. 1890.
©
2005 Debbie Gramlick.