GEORGE EDGAR BRYAN

Sacramento County

Biographies

GEORGE EDGAR BRYAN

GEORGE EDGAR BRYAN.–A representative of one of the old pioneer families in Sacramento County is George Edgar Bryan, who was born near what is now Hood, Sacramento County, April 13, 1870. His father, Isaac Bryan, was born near Allegheny, Pa., and at the age of twelve years, came to Ohio, where Grandfather Bryan became a successful farmer and business man, owning a farm near Tiffin as well as engaging in brick-manufacturing in that city. A town sprang up on his farm, called Bryan, and is now a station on the transcontinental aerial route. In 1850 he came via Panama to Sacramento. He tried mining for a while, but soon gave it up for something more remunerative, locating on a tract of land fifteen miles south of Sacramento on the river, where he engaged in raising vegetables which he sold in the mines. He married Miss Ellen Reardon, who was of Scotch-Irish lineage, but born in Philadelphia, in 1839. She came to California via Panama in 1851 with relatives, and made her home in Sacramento until her marriage. Together they pioneered, raising their family and improving their ranch, passing through the early hardships, particularly the flood of 1862. Mr. Bryan was a progressive man. He established a nursery on his place, and set out orchards of cherries, shipping the fruit to San Francisco markets until Vacaville began producing the fruit; and he was also a pioneer in raising pears. He was not permitted, however, to enjoy the fruits of his labors, for he died in 1885 at the age of forty-eight years. His widow continued to reside on the home place until the youngest child was grown up, when she sold the place. She now makes her home in Vacaville.

There were eleven children in the Bryan family, nine of whom grew up; and eight are living. John, of Sacramento; Joseph, in Isleton; George Edgar, the subject of our review; William, in Stockton; Isaac, in Rio Vista; Mrs. Nellie Berg, of Stockton; Mrs. May La Montague, of Antioch; and Mrs. Minnie Sherratt, if Salinas. James, Harry, and Mrs. Anne Homer are deceased.

George Bryan was educated in the local schools, and remained on the home farm, assisting his mother until he was eighteen years old. In 1888 he began driving stage, running from Walnut Grove to Stockton, thirty-one miles, or sixty-two miles a round trip per day, changing his four-horse team at Bryan Station each way. In 1892 the line was extended to Isleton, a distance of forty miles, or an eighty-mile round trip, which he made six days a week, changing his four-horse team at Walnut Grove and again at Bryan Station. In 1904, when the dredges began throwing the sand on the levee, the road became impassable and the line was discontinued. Besides his regular driving each day, he found time on Sundays to make trips with the baseball team to adjoining cities as an active participant in the game.

On September 3, 1902, the day Buffalo Bill had his Wild West show in Sacramento, Mr. Bryan of course attended; and they were a little late starting on the return trip. On arriving at t point about one-half mile north of Hood, they were held up by a lone highwayman, who lined up the passengers, as well as Mr. Bryan, and was in the act of relieving the last passenger, Mr. Isham, of his money, when the latter saw an opportunity and grabbed the highwayman’s gun. In the scuffle which ensued he retained possession of it and the highwayman fled and made his escape. Mr. Bryan, on getting down from his seat on the stage to take his place in the line, had hidden his pocketbook in the bed of the stage.

From 1904 to 1907 Mr. Bryan was engaged in dairying at Isleton, and from 1907 to 1917 he was proprietor of the Central Hotel at the same place. Mrs. Bryan was the owner of "Shoreacres," a 167-acre ranch on Andrus Island, three miles above Isleton; so in 1917 they located on their ranch and engaged in farming, the place being devoted to the raising of pears, peaches, and plums, and asparagus and other vegetables.

On April 2, 1896, occurred the marriage of Mr. Bryan and Miss Alice Marion Smith. She was born on the old Hart Smith ranch at Isleton, and is a daughter of that old and highly respected pioneer, Hart Fellows Smith and his estimable wife, Margaret McKeever Smith, who are represented in her brother Garrett Smith’s sketch in this work. Two children have been born of this fortunate union: Gertrude Anne, a graduate of the University of California in the class of 1920, with the degree of A.B.; and Elwood, who was also educated at the University of California. Aside from the beautiful home "Shoreacres," Mrs. Bryan is also the owner of a well-improved ranch of 104 acres, a part of her father’s old place at Isleton. She is active in civic and social work in the community, being a member of Onisbo Chapter, O.E.S., at Courtland, of which she is a past matron. She is also a member of Hogate Rebekah Lodge of Isleton, in which she is a past noble grand and past district deputy. She holds membership in the Tuesday Club in Sacramento and the Methodist Church in Isleton.

In association with J. H. Rossiter, R. K. Malcolm, and John B. Coleman, of San Francisco, and George B. La Montague of Antioch, Mr. Bryan in 1917 formed the Liberty Farms Company, leasing lands in Solano County and engaging in farming on a large scale. In 1918 they purchased 5,200 acres known as the By-Pass in Solano County, and reclaimed it, the land being now devoted to raising grains, beans, asparagus, celery, and onions From 1920 to 1922 Mr. Bryan was active in the organization of the River Lands Protective Association, a movement to prevent the rice-growers above from diverting the water from the Sacramento River for flooding the rice-fields so that the water of the lower Sacramento River would back up from the tide and become salty, a matter that is till in litigation.

A firm believer in the principles of protection as a national political policy, Mr. Bryan is naturally a stanch (sic) Republican.

Transcribed 3-9-07 Marilyn R. Pankey.

Source: Reed, G. Walter, History of Sacramento County, California With Biographical Sketches, Pages 493-494. Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, CA. 1923.