Sacramento County
Biographies
JOHN GARMAN HITE
JOHN GARMAN HITE was born near
Rushville, Schuyler County, Illinois, December 28, 1848, his parents being
Alexander and Arabella (Matthus)
Hite. The father, born in Virginia
in 1806, died on the place now owned by the son, in December, 1885, lacking
only a few days of being eighty years old. The mother, born in Ohio
in 1812, and there married in 1829, is living with her daughter Rachel, now
Mrs. C. E. Adams, of Sacramento. The
parents came to California by the northern route across
the plains in 1853, arriving at Bear River, September
24, with six sons and six daughters. Their youngest child, Daniel Oren,
born in Sacramento County
in 1854, is now living with the subject of this sketch. One daughter died
in 1861, aged fifteen; another is also deceased, and one son, Abram E., died in
1885. The father bought a place on his arrival, about three-quarters of a
mile to the west of his later location, now owned by his son, a quarter of a mild west of the Six-Mile House, on the lower Stockton
road. This he settled on January 9, 1855, taking up a quarter section, of which, however, only 120 acres were patented to
him. He put up a house the same year. From 1858 to 1864 the family
lived on the Haggin grant, six miles above Sacramento,
the two oldest sons renting the father’s ranch. J. G. Attended the usual
spring and autumn terms of the local schools during his boyhood and youth, and
before his majority had also picked up the trades of carpenter and
blacksmith. Before he was quite twenty-one he went into the threshing
business, which he still follows now with much improved machinery, and in
winter and spring he worked as carpenter. He also at one time clerked in a
store at Freeport for two
years. Mr. Hite was married July 17, 1876, to Miss Lillian Rhiel, a native of California, her
parents being Philip G. and Mrs. Hannah (Bodge, by
birth Weber) Rheil, both living in Freeport. January
5, 1881, Mr. Hite bought out his father, and built a new house of six good
rooms. He raises grain and hay chiefly. He rents 400 acres in Sutter
Township, across the road to the
north of his line, mostly sown to wheat; and with a partner rents 240 acres
more, devoted mainly to cattle and hay. For four to five months each year
he is engaged in threshing for various ranchers, in and out of Sacramento
County. Mr. and Mrs. Hite are
the parents of two children: Lovella, born October
11, 1878; Waverly John, March 9, 1880.
Transcribed 9-13-07 Marilyn R. Pankey.
Source: Davis, Hon. Win. J., An Illustrated
History of Sacramento County, California. Pages 638-639.
Lewis Publishing Company. 1890.
© 2007 Marilyn R. Pankey.