Sacramento County
Biographies
GEORGE
WASHINGTON HARLOW
GEORGE WASHINGTON HARLOW, farmer, Brighton Township, was born in Franklin County, Illinois, on the National Road, 110 miles due east of St. Louis, August 12, 1828. His father, Isaiah Harlow, was born and brought up in old Virginia, eighteen miles from Richmond, on the sea-coast. His mother, nee Margaret Carr, was born on the place called Burke Garden, Tazewell Court-house, West Virginia, where she was married, and where she and her husband resided six years, moving to Illinois with three children and with five horses and a wagon, and settled in Franklin County. Mr. Harlow exchanged the wagon and three horses for the farm claim. The place being heavily timbered, much time and arduous labor were required to clear it up; but he persevered until he subdued to cultivation a very large field. After living there about eighteen years he moved to Dane County, Wisconsin, bought land upon the main road from Galena into the Wisconsin pineries, built a hotel and conducted it about four years, when he died. Mrs. Harlow continued to make that her home until her children were all grown up and married, and then she lived with them until her death, which took place February 14, 1882, at the home of her son Isaiah Harlow, in Howard County, Iowa. She had eight children: John, Cynthia, William, Elizabeth, George W. (the subject of this sketch), Isaiah, Susan and Mary. George W. is the only one of these now living. After the death of his father the farm fell to him and his brother Isaiah, who conducted it some time. It was afterwards sold and he moved to Howard County, Iowa, where his mother lived with him until he came to California; she then went to live with Isaiah. Mr. Harlow followed farming, and in 1857 or 1858 built a saw-mill and ran it about five years, there being a large quantity of good timber in the vicinity. May 2, 1863, he left home for visiting friends in New York State, preparatory to coming to California. In the spring of 1864 he took the steamer North Star at New York city and came by way of the Isthmus and the old steamer Sonora to San Francisco, he bought an outfit here and went over the mountains to Bodie, Mono County, California, and worked in the mines during the summer of 1863. Returning to this valley, he rented a farm in Yolo County, three miles above Sacramento, and lived there during the season of 1864. In the fall he went over to Bodie again and followed teaming, hauling material for building quartz-mills. In fall of 1865 he located upon his present place, which he bought from the railroad company and where he has resided ever since. His farm then had 160 acres with but very little improvements. There was a small shanty, in which he lived about two years, and then built his present house on the ridge. There were no fences; there were some old ditches, and now and then a post stuck in the ground with a few nails in it. At present the place comprises 140 acres, under the best of improvements. Nine acres are in a good vineyard, and there are about 500 good fruit trees four years old, in full bearing. Off of four acres of four year old Zinfandels he sold forty-seven tons, and there were two tons besides wasted, which is about as good a showing as can be made in Sacramento County. Mr. Harlow is a member of the Masonic order, and of the Reorganized Church of the Latter-day Saints in Sacramento; he has been a member of this church thirty years. Since the outbreak of the Rebellion he has been a Republican. The Republic County Convention in 1887 nominated him for the office of Public Administrator, and he was elected by a majority of 507, when, to administer the duties of the office, he changed his residence to the city. He was married February 4, 1848, to Ann Lee, in Wisconsin; she is a native of Norway. They have five children: John Marion, Justus, Jacob, Jesse, Frances Matilda and Ida Laodicea. They lost three—Obadiah, Mary Docia and Dora Ann, all of whom died in the East.
Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
Davis, Hon. Win. J., An Illustrated History of
Sacramento County, California. Pages 649-650. Lewis
Publishing Company. 1890.
© 2007 Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.