Sacramento County
Biographies
MRS. MARY A. DETERDING
MRS. MARY A. DETERDING.--Among the fine country estates in Sacramento
County is the San Juan Meadow, which is the property of Mrs. Mary
A. Deterding, one of California's native daughters, who spent her entire life in this
section of the state. She was born near Mills Station, across the river from
her present home, and is the eldest of seven children in the family of John and
Elizabeth (Bows) Shields, pioneer farmers of 1852. Her brother, Hon. Peter J.
Shields, is one of the foremost jurists of Sacramento, and an account of his life is published elsewhere in this
volume.
Mary A. Shields was reared and educated in
her native county, attending the Kinney district school and St. Joseph's Convent at Sacramento. On reaching womanhood she married Charles W. Deterding, of Sacramento, and three children were born to
them: Charles W., Jr., who serves as county engineer and resides in the capital
city; John R., who is a veteran of the World War; and May, the wife of A. D. McDonell, a well-known farmer of this district.
Sixteen years ago Mrs. Deterding
purchased her present farm, which was a portion of the old San Juan Grant, and
she carefully supervised the clearing and development of the tract, which lies
eleven miles northeast of the state capital. It contains 425 acres and fronts
on the historic American River. For about eight years the river bottom lands were
utilized for the growing of alfalfa, but the entire acreage is now being set
out to fruit trees of choice varieties of peaches, Bartlett pears, and French prunes. There are forty acres of prune
orchard, forty acres of pears and fifty acres of peaches. A four-acre plot on
an elevated portion of the ranch is set aside for the drying and curing of the
fruit. The most modern methods are employed, and in the drying season thousands
of trays are to be found laden with the fine fruit awaiting the curative powers
of the sun's rays, the dehydrating system not being in use here. Mrs. Deterding also raises alfalfa in abundance and has
transformed her ranch into one of the finest agricultural properties in the
state. She is a practical business woman and displays foresight and executive
ability in the management of her affairs. Since she began operating in this
district, the remainder of the San Juan Grant has been subdivided by a local
realty firm; and at the present time the adjoining territory has been largely
settled in ten-acre home tracts and is known as the Carmichael District. Of a
generous, sympathetic nature, she has done all within her power to aid the new
settlers in the Fairoaks and Carmichael districts and
has greatly endeared herself to them.
Mrs. Deterding
is prominent in club and social life and is a past president of the Thursday
Club of Fairoaks. She is also a member of the
Carmichael Community Club, which she aided in organizing and developing, and
likewise belongs to the California Prune and Apricot Grower's Association. She
is deeply interested in the welfare and progress of her district, and her
spirit of helpfulness and her altruistic work have made her respected by all
who have the honor of her acquaintance.
Transcribed by Sally Kaleta.
Source: Reed, G.
Walter, History of Sacramento
County, California With Biographical Sketches, Page 324. Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, CA. 1923.
© 2006 Sally Kaleta.