Sacramento County
Biographies
LEONARD W. ESKRIDGE
LEONARD W. ESKRIDGE--Among the leading agriculturist in the vicinity of Sacramento is Leonard W. Eskridge, who for twenty-eight years has been actively engaged in the great work of reclaiming a portion of the "arid zone" of Sacramento County. He was born in Sacramento, August 29, 1870, the youngest son of Alexander W. and Elizabeth A. (Zumwalt) Eskridge. Alexander W. Eskridge was born in Virginia in 1829 and was bereaved of his parents at an early age; at seven years of age he was bound out to a family in New York and was taught the trade of cabinet maker. When he grew to young manhood he was one of a party of five young men who went to Illinois; from there they organized a party to cross the plains, driving 150 head of stock, which they traded en route. Late in the fall of 1849, they arrived in California and Alexander W. Eskridge mined on the Consumnes River for a time, but soon gave it up for the more substantial industry of farming on land now known as the Taylor place. In 1851 he erected buildings which are still standing; he also built many homes for the settlers who came to Consumnes during the fifties.
Alexander W. Eskridge next located at Knight's Landing in Yolo County, where he became an extensive wheat raiser; later he removed to Sacramento, where he was a general contractor and builder, specializing in fine interior finish; he did the interior woodwork of the state capital building and many of the fine residences of Sacramento; he gave his time and material for the fence around the Kilgore Cemetery, which is still standing. He was a charter member of the Sacramento Lodge of Odd Fellows, and in politics was a Republican. He passed away September 20, 1908, survived by his wife and three children: Mrs. E.H. Tryon, a widow who has one son, Loren H. Tryon of San Francisco; C. J. Eskridge who is married and has two children and resides in Eldorado County; and Leonard W. of this review.
Leonard W. Eskridge was reared in the family home in Sacramento and there attended school until he was fifteen years of age; then he left home to seek his fortune. He stopped at Portland, Ore., where he was employed on the stock ranch of David Cole and in the meantime learned the plumbers trade. While in the employ of David Cole he learned to ride the range and his experience along this line extended from the Canadian border to Old Mexico; at one time while in Portland he was employed under Joseph Werter of the United States secret service during the Dunbar, Blum and Laton exposure.
The marriage of Mr. Eskridge united him with Miss Martha Wilke, a native of Pennsylvania, a daughter of the late Charles Wilke, whose sketch will be found in this history. Twenty-eight years ago, Mr. and Mrs. Eskridge located on their ranch of ten acres on the M. Street road where they first engaged in the dairy and poultry business, but later developed a fine orchard; they conduct a successful hatchery on their ranch. For eleven years Mr. Eskridge has conducted the poultry department at the state fair; for one year he served as director of the Central California Poultry Producers' Association and his work for the benefit of the poultrymen of Sacramento County has been productive of much good.
Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
Source: Reed, G.
Walter, History of Sacramento County,
California With Biographical Sketches, Page 689. Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, CA.
1923.
© 2007 Jeanne Taylor.