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Sacramento County
Biographies
1880
ALABAMA TOWNSHIP.
Page 243
ATKINSON, W. W., lives fourteen miles from Galt and ten
miles from Ione, which is his Post Office; was born in Springfield, Ohio, in
1834; he removed, in 1843, to Bloomington, Illinois, and lived there until
1852; he came to California in that year, and settling in Amador County,
remained there until 1875; he then came to this county and is engaged in
farming. Mr. A. has held the following
offices: Second Lieutenant, State Militia; Road Supervisor, and is now School
Trustee. He owns seven hundred and
twenty acres of land, which, with the improvements, are worth about $12,000.
ALABAMA TOWNSHIP.
Page 243
BOARDMAN, SAMUEL; lives ten miles from Galt, which
is his Post Office, and seventeen miles from Ione; was born in Ontario County,
New York, in 1837, and lived there until 1857; in that year he came with his
parents to California, and settled in this county, where he has engaged in
raising stock the most of the time since; he has done some mining; is now
farming and stock-raising. He was
married in 1872 to Kate Evans, a native of Delaware, Ohio, who has borne him
two children—Estelle Elizabeth, born February 9, 1874, and Vincent Evans, born
July 5, 1875. Mr. B. was held the
office of School Trustee. He owns six
hundred and forty acres of land, which, with improvements, are worth about
$10,000.
ALABAMA TOWNSHIP.
Page 243
CRABTREE, I. J., lives ten miles from Galt, which is
his Post Office, and twelve miles from Ione; was born in Illinois, in 1834, and
lived there until 1853; he came to California in that year and engaged in
mining in El Dorado County, until 1858, when he settled on his present place,
and is now engaged in farming and stock-raising. He was married in 1859 to Sarah A. Haller, who was born August
15, 1846, in Montgomery County, Illinois; she came to California 1856 with her
parents, Henry and Margaret Haller; they were wrecked on the Golden Age,
just outside the Golden Gate; her parents have since died at her home. Mr. Crabtree has four children—Henry F.,
born June 13, 1861; George L., born November 20, 1863; Edith E., born February
9, 1866; Jacob L., born January 3, 1874.
He owns twelve hundred and eighty acres of land, which, with
improvements, are worth about $20,000.
ALABAMA TOWNSHIP.
Page 243
CROSSGROVE, C. E., lives four miles from Galt, which
is his Post Office, and five miles from Elliott; he was born in New Castle
County, Delaware, in 1846, and lived there until 1857; his father being in
delicate health, they moved to Ham’s Fork, near Fort Bridger, and remained
about a year; they then went to Washington Territory, near Idaho, traveling and
health-seeking for his father, until 1860, when they settled in this county. Mr. C. is now engaged in farming and
dairying; he owns four hundred acres of land, which, with improvements, are
worth about $9,000. He was married in
1877 to Rosalie Bryant, a native of San Joaquin County; she died August 17,
1878, leaving him a daughter—Emma Josephine, born March 27, 1878.
ALABAMA TOWNSHIP.
Page 243
FOWLER, THOMAS H., lives seven miles from Galt,
which is his Post Office, and five miles from Hicksville; was born on Long Island,
New York, in 1824, and lived there until 1849; he came to California in that
year and engaged in mining at Jamestown and Auburn until 1850; he then returned
East by way of Central America; came back to California in March, 1852, and
mined in Northern Mines some months; then spent some time in other other mines
and San Francisco; settled in this county in 1853, and engaged in farming and
gardening, near his present place, until 1859, and then settled where he is now
farming and stock-raising. He was
married in 1857 to Francis M. Van Alstine, a native of New York, who has borne
him five children. Mr. Fowler has held
the office of School Trustee. He owns
five hundred and sixty acres of land, which, with improvements, are worth about
$5,000.
ALABAMA TOWNSHIP.
Page 243
MAKEE, GEORGE N., lives twelve miles from Galt, and fifteen miles from
Ione; was born in Billerica, Mass., in 1831; in 1849 he enlisted in the United
States Army, and was on the frontier until 1851; he then lived in Illinois,
until the spring of 1852, engaged in wood-cutting; then he went to Fort
Laramie, and traded with emigrants, until the fall of same year, when he moved
to Salt Lake City, and was in the secret service for about a year. He came to California in 1853, and engaged
in mining, at Placerville and elsewhere, until 1859; in that year he settled in
this locality, and farmed until 1862; he then spent a year in the Sandwich
Islands; in 1863, he returned, and settled on his present place; he owns two
hundred and fifty acres, which, with improvements, are worth about five
thousand dollars. Mr. M. was married,
in 1853, to Jane Steel, a native of England, who has borne him five children,
one of whom is deceased—a son. Their
two daughters are married, one living in Galt, and the other in Washington
Territory. He has held the office of
School Trustee. He is the only one in
this vicinity who has done much in the way of vine culture, and winemaking; he
has shown that they will have a healthy growth, about the only danger being
from spring frosts. His Post Office is Clay Station.
ALABAMA TOWNSHIP.
Page 243
MONSCH, MARTIN, Post
Office, Clay Station; lives 14 miles from Galt, and twelve miles from Ione; was
born in Switzerland, 1829, and lived there until 1849, where he learned the confectionery
trade; he immigrated to the United States in that year, and worked at his
trade, in that year, and worked at his trade, in New Orleans, until 1852; he
then came to California, and engaged in mining, in Trinity County, until 1857,
when he went to Los Angeles, and was in the cattle trade there until 1860. Mr. M. settled on his present place in 1860,
and has since been engaged in sheep-raising; he owns three thousand five
hundred acres of land, which, with improvements, are worth about $15,000. He was married, September 17, 1872, to
Isabella Weir, a native of Scotland; they have three sons, Wallace Tell, born
September 22, 1874; Martin B., born December 5, 1875; Allen Clyde, born January
5, 1878.
ALABAMA TOWNSHIP.
Page 243-244
NIXON, LYMAN, lives
eleven miles from Galt, and eleven miles from Ione, which is his Post Office;
he rents, of George Walker, five hundred and forty acres of land; was born in
Brantford, Canada, in 1837; in 1845 he moved to Buffalo, New York, and lived
there until 1855; he then returned to Canada, and was engaged as a railroad
engineer until 1863, when he went to Eagle Harbor, Lake Superior, and
engineered for about two years; returning to Canada again, he kept hotel until
1867. He came to California in that
year, and has been engaged in running farm and mining machinery and until his
settlement on present place, in 1878; he is now farming his rented place, and
running farm machinery. He was married,
in 1857, to S. J. Burgess, a native of Canada, by whom he has a daughter and
son, living in Canada. She died April
22, 1862; he was again married, in Michigan, in 1863, to Jane Macaly, a native
of Dun Patrick, Ireland, and who has borne him five sons, and a daughter, all
of whom are living.
ALABAMA TOWNSHIP.
Page 244
OVERMEYER, J. M.,
lives six miles from Galt, which is his Post Office, and 16 miles from Ione;
was born in Pickaway County, Ohio, in 1835; he moved with his parents to La
Porte County, Indiana, in 1837, and lived there until 1843; then went to Rock
Island County, Illinois, and remained until 1854, when he came to California,
and engaged in farming and teaming until 1865, in El Dorado County; he came to
this county then, and stopped about a year, when he removed to Santa Cruz
County, and lived there until 1873; then he returned to this County, and has
lived on his present place since 1876.
Mr. O. was married in 1865 to Sarah Martha Douglass, a native of
Missouri, who has borne him five children--three sons and two daughters--all of
whom are living. He owns three hundred
sixty acres of land, which, with improvements, are worth about $3000.
ALABAMA TOWNSHIP.
Page 244
PRESBURY, E. H., lives
four and a half miles from Galt, which is his Post Office; was born in Hartford
County, Maryland, in 1808; he moved to Jefferson County, Ohio, in 1827, and
lived there until 1850, engaged in milling; he then removed to Illinois, and
was engaged in farming and milling until 1853; he came to California in that
year, and settled in this county in 1854, where he has since been farming; he
owns three hundred and twenty acres, which, all with improvements, are worth
about $10,000. Mr. P. sowed about
twenty-five acres of upland in barley and wheat in 1858; it was thought to be a
doubtful experiment, as it was the first one in this vicinity, the farmers
heretofore confining themselves to the moist bottom-lands; his experiment
clearly demonstrated and settled the then important question, as to the
adoption of this section of the country for general agriculture. He was married in 1836 to Martha Bayless,
also a native of Maryland; they have one son, William, who is the father of
four children, three daughters a son.
ALABAMA TOWNSHIP.
Page 244
QUIGGLE,
V. S., lives three and a half miles from Galt, which is his Post Office, and
four miles from Hicksville; was born in Geauga County, Ohio, in 1839, and lived
there until 1858; he came to California in that year, and engaged in raising
stock near Woodbridge, San Joaquin County, until 1861; he then came to this
county, and kept a hotel on the Cosumnes until 1868, when he went to San
Francisco, and from there to Pitt River on a stock venture; he returned to this
county in 1873, but afterwards went to Stanislaus County, and farmed two years;
settled on his present home in 1875.
Mr. Quiggle was married in 1867 to Isabella Lewis, a native of Canada
East, who has borne him five children.
He owns three hundred and twenty acres, which, with improvements, are
worth about $7000.
ALABAMA TOWNSHIP.
Page
244
RATTAN,
HIRAM S., lives six miles from Galt, which is his Post Office, and sixteen
miles from Ione; was born in Wisconsin in 1853, and lived there until 1862;
came to California and settled in this county, with his parents, in that year,
and remained here until 1866; he then went to San Joaquin County, and resided
until 1873, when he moved to Calaveras County, and engaged in sheep raising
until 1878; in that year he removed to his present home, and is farming on
three hundred and twenty acres, rented of his father, James Rattan, who lives
near Acampo, San Joaquin County. Mr. Rattan was married in 1876 to Flora E.
Crawford, a native of Michigan, who came to this State with her parents about
1863; they have two children—Ada L., born October 3, 1877, and Herbert L., born
March 8, 1879. His property is worth
about $3000.
ALABAMA TOWNSHIP.
Page 244
RIEFF,
JAMES, lives five miles from Galt, which is his Post Office, and ten miles from
Elk Grove; he was born in Arkansas in 1849, and lived there until 1853; he came
to California in that year, and settled in this county, living in Sacramento
until 1867; he then moved and settled in this vicinity, and engaged in
farming. He owns one hundred and sixty
acres of land, which, with improvements, are worth about $2000. He was married January 1, 1877, to Julia A.
Somers, a native of Dry Creek Township, Sacramento County; they have one child,
Mandie E., born December 20, 1877.
ALABAMA TOWNSHIP.
Page 244
SHINN,
H. D., lives five miles from Galt, which is his Post Office; was born December
1853, in New Jersey; came to California with his parents in 1854, and lived in
Placerville about one year; they then moved to Elkhorn Township, San Joaquin
County, where he lived until March 1879, when he settled on his present place,
and is now engaged in farming; he owns one hundred and sixty acres of land,
which, with improvements, are worth about $3000. He was married on the day of his majority, December 8, 1874, to
Emma Sophia Tock, who was born January 27, 1858, in New Brunswick; they have
two children—Flora May, born December 18, 1875, and Elmer J., born September 5,
1877.
ALABAMA TOWNSHIP.
Page 244
SHORT, JAMES M., lives six miles from
Galt, his Post Office, and twelve miles from Elk Grove; he was born in Barren
County, Kentucky, in 1823; moved with parents in 1827 to Alabama, and later to
Tennessee, where he lived until 1844; he then went to Chickasaw Parish, on the
Mississippi, and engaged in cotton culture until 1847; he moved to Texas in
that year, and was engaged in farming and stock raising until 1850, when he
came to California, and followed mining for a short time, principally in El
Dorado County and Indian diggings; he settled on his present home in 1852, when
it was thought impossible to settle the county with farmers, as it was only
adapted to grazing, and unfit for agriculture.
He is now farming and stock raising.
He was married in 1863 to Mrs. Maria Wade, a native of Arkansas; they
have one child, a son born June 1864.
Mr. S. has held the offices of Justice of the Peace and School Trustee;
he owns one thousand seventy-three acres of land, which, with improvements, are
worth about $12,000.
ALABAMA TOWNSHIP.
Page 244
STEELE, THOMAS, lives a Clay Station,
his Post Office, ten miles from Galt, and eighteen miles from Ione; was born in
Thropshire, England, in 1842; he emigrated to the United States, with his
parents, in 1847, and lived in Wisconsin until 1852; he then went to Salt Lake
City, and remained until his removal to this State, which was in 1853; he
engaged in mining, in this county, until 1857, when he turned his attention to
farming and stock-raising, and has been engaged in that business ever since; he
owns eight hundred and eighty acres, which, with improvements, are worth about
seven thousand dollars. He was married,
in 1868, to Marrilla Woodruff, a native of Illinois; she died the same
year. He was married again, in 1873, to
Celia Rouss; they have had four children—Henrietta, born in 1873; Flora, born
in 1874, now deceased; Nellie, born in 1876; and Celia May, born in 1879. Mr. Steele has held the office of School
Trustee.
ALABAMA TOWNSHIP.
Page 244
SWIFT, R. S.,
lives fifteen miles from the Galt, and eight miles from Ione, his Post Office;
was born, in New York, in 1831; removed, with his parents, in 1839, to Erie
County Pennsylvania, and lived there until 1850; he then went to Monroeville,
Ohio, and was engaged in schooling and teaming until 1853; he came to
California in that year, and settled within three miles of his present place,
where he remained about two years, when he moved to his present home, and is
now engaged in farming and stock-raising; he owns about eighteen hundred acres
of land, which, with improvements, are worth about forty thousand dollars. Mr. Swift was married, in 1860, to Ann Elizabeth
Burke, a native of Scioto County, Ohio; she has borne him four children -- -- Lucetta,
born March 15, 1863; Laura F., December 27, 1866; Charles S. and John S.,
September 15, 1867; the later died when eleven days old. Mr. Swift has held the office of School
Trustee.
ALABAMA TOWNSHIP.
Page 244
WEST, C. M., lives eight miles from Galt, his Post Office,
and twelve miles from Lodi; was born in Erie County, Pennsylvania, in 1831; he
moved, with his parents, in 1838, to Pike County, Illinois, and remained there
until 1852; he came to California in that year, and lived in Amador County,
until 1854, engaged in mining; he then moved to Wisconsin Bar, and was engaged
in selling merchandise to miners until 1857, when he went to Oregon; subsequently,
he returned to his State, and followed stock-raising until his removal, in
1868, to his present place, when he turned his attention to farming also; he
owns five hundred acres and sixty acres, which, with improvements, are worth
about nine thousand dollars. Mr. West
was married, in 1870, to America Baker, a native of Missouri; they have had
born to them five children, three of whom are living in -- -- Chester Franklin,
born June, 1875; Alice Effie, born June, 1877; and infant, born April 15,
1879. Mr. West has held the office of
School Trustee.
ALABAMA TOWNSHIP.
Page 244-245.
WHITNEY, JOHN W., lives five miles from Galt, his Post
Office, and the same distance from Hicksville; was born in Ontario County, New
York, in 1830; moved with his parents, in 1834, to Cleveland, Ohio, and lived
there until 1836, when they removed to Du Page County, Illinois, and remained
until 1840; they then went to Grant County, Wisconsin, where he lived until 1852;
he came to California in that year, and was engaged in mining in Placerville,
and mines north of there, for five years; with the exception of five years
spent in Nevada, he was has farmed here ever since 1858; he owns two hundred
and forty acres of land, which, with improvements, are worth about three
thousand dollars. Mr. W. was married,
February 26, 1873, too Sarah Jane Herbert, a native of Essex County, England.
ALABAMA TOWNSHIP.
Page 245
WHITTEMORE, B. F., Post Office, Clay Station; lives ten
miles from Galt, and twelve miles from Elk Grove; was born in Rindge, New
Hampshire, in 1833; he moved to Illinois in 1837, and to Salt Lake City in 1853,
remaining there about a year; he came to California in 1854, and engaged in
mining until 1860; he then settled where he is now living, and followed teaming
and farming until his farm demanded that he give it his entire attention; he
owns two hundred and eighty acres of land, worth about $5000. Mr. Whittemore has held the office of School
Trustee. He was married, in 1872, to Anna
M. Snyder, a native of Alleghany County, New York; they have had born to them two
children, Abion Elmer, born July 16, 1874, and Carl A., born in January 24,
1878.
ALABAMA TOWNSHIP.
Page 245
YOUNG, THOMAS, lives 3 1/4 miles from Galt, his Post
Office; was born in Kentucky in 1813; he moved to Missouri and 1817, and lived
there until 1852; he came to California in that year, and engaged in farming;
with the exception of time spent in 1832, making a trip to New Mexico, he has
always been engaged in farming. When
Mr. Young settled in the county, in 1852, farming was confined to the
bottomlands, the uplands being deemed unfit for agriculture; not until 1858 was
it demonstrated that grain could be profitably raised on uplands. He owns two hundred and forty acres, worth,
with improvements, about $4000. He was
married in 1841 to Ann Eliza Waseman, a native of Missouri; they have had born
to them fourteen children; three of their daughters are married and living in
this State.
Source: History of Sacramento County, California With
Illustrations 1880 by Thompson & West.
© 2003 Nancy Pratt
Melton.
Sacramento County Biographies