Biographies
ERNEST
ALBERT GAMMON
ERNEST ALBERT
GAMMON—Ernest Albert Gammon is a native son of Sacramento County, born on the
Gammon ranch near what was then Richland but now called Hood, July 18, 1866.
His father, Walter Gammon, was born at Cumberland, Tenn. The Gammon family came
from England in early Colonial days, some members of the family settling in New
England, some in Tennessee and others in Georgia, our subject being descended
from the Southern branch of the family.
Walter Gammon,
while in far-off Tennessee, heard and read of the gold discovery in California;
and becoming intensely interested, he made the long journey across the plains
in an ox-team train in 1850. After spending a few months in the mines he came
to Sacramento and very soon afterwards located on the present Gammon ranch,
then government land. He obtained title to it and built a residence and other
farm buildings. The residence was built on an elevation,
and during the flood o 1861-1862 three families were domiciled in the garret of
the little house. Walter Gammon was interested in reclamation from the early
days when the levees were built by manpower and wheelbarrows. He was
accidentally drowned on July 2, 1867.
On January 1,
1860, Walter Gammon married Miss Dell Cook, born Shiawasser
County, Mich., where she was a teacher. She came via the Isthmus of Panama and
taught school in this country until her marriage. The year after her husband’s
untimely death she was importuned to teach the children, so she taught about
eighty children at her own residence, and then at the schoolhouse in Richland
district, only a hundred yards away, continuing for a year, when she was forced
to give up teaching to look after her affairs and her children. She was
successful in her ranching enterprise and lived to be seventy-seven years of age, passing away in 1907, mourned by her family and all who
knew her. By her union with Mr. Gammon she had been blessed with four children:
Charles, a business man in New York City, Mrs. May Wheeler of Berkeley, Walter residing
in Florida, and Ernest Albert, who was reared on the home farm.
After completing
the local school Ernest Albert Gammon attended the Colorado Agricultural
College at Fort Collins, Colo., for two years, and then the Michigan State
Agricultural College at Lansing, Mich. In 1887 he took over the management of
the old home ranch, which he has successfully operated every since. As early as
1864 or 1865 his father set out an orchard of pears, which is still bearing.
Since then they have gradually set out the balance of the ranch to orchard and
our subject has continued the development and care, having set and reset the
trees until now the whole Gammon ranch is in fruit. Mr. Gammon has also bought,
improved, and sold several other ranches in this county as well as in Yolo,
Solano and Stanislaus Counties. He owns a seventy-acre ranch off McHenry
Avenue, three and one-half miles from Modesto, devoted to peaches, prunes,
walnuts and grapes.
Mr. Gammon was
married on Ryer Island, Solano County, in 1880, being
united with Miss Ella Thomas, who was born at French Camp, San Joaquin County,
a daughter of Jesse Thomas, a native of Maine, who was a pioneer of California
and a prominent rancher in Solano County. She was educated at the Rio Vista
School and was engaged in teaching before her marriage. Their union has
resulted in the birth of four children: Percy was educated in Sacramento high,
College of the Pacific, St. Matthew’s Military School, and the Agricultural
department of the University of California, and is now a realtor in Sacramento;
Earle, who was educated at St. Matthew’s Military School and the Oregon
Agricultural College, is now superintendent of the Gammon ranch; Cyril is a
graduate of Courtland high school, and is now attending Stanford University, class
of 1925; and the youngest child, Mabel Alice, is a graduate of Courtland high,
and is now attending Mills College.
Mr. Gammon has
been deeply interested in the cause of education, serving as school trustee for
many years. He was one of the original trustees of Courtland high school
district and aided materially in building it up to its present high standard.
Fraternally, Mr. Gammon is a member of Courtland Parlor, N.S.G.W., of which he
is a past president; he is also a member of Franklin Camp, Modern Woodman of
America. He is a Republican, with strong progressive tendencies. He is
prominent in civic matters, believing a man should give something to the
community and not be a social parasite. He is a member of the Sacramento
Chamber of Commerce and a director of its fruit bureau. He was one of the
organizers of the Community Packing House at Hood, where they now have standard
brands instead of individual brands, it being the most modern and best-equipped
plant of any deciduous packing house in the state. He is a member of the
California Fruit Exchange, serving on its board of directors for ten years,
half of the time being vice-president of the board. He is a member and
ex-vice-president and director of the Exchange Club of Sacramento. Mr. Gammon
is intensely interested in all cooperative movements for the marketing of the
farmer’s products, believing it is the only way to make a success for the
producers. So he is naturally a member of the California Pear Growers’
Association, the California Cherry Growers’ Association, the California Milk
Producers’ Association, and California Cooperative Canneries. Thus in every way
he assists in the upbuilding and development of the
community.
Transcribed by Gloria Wiegner
Lane.
Source: Reed, G.
Walter, History of Sacramento County,
California With Biographical Sketches, Pages 407-408. Historic Record Company,
© 2007 Gloria
Wiegner Lane.