Sacramento County
Biographies
MANUEL
JOSEPH MACHADO
MANUEL JOSEPH MACHADO.--Manuel Joseph Machado is a native son born at Freeport, Sacramento County, January 14, 1882. His father, Frank Joseph Machado, was an early settler of this county, having come hither from his native Island of Pico in the Azores group, and in California he was married to Marian Azevedo, also a native of Pico. They resided here until 1888 when they returned to Pico with their four children, Frank, Manuel, Marie and Joseph, and in his native land he followed farming. While there the son Joseph died. They continued to reside in Pico until 1901, during which time five more children were born: Marian, Rosie, John, Anthony and Joseph. In 1901 the elder Machado brought his family, the wife and seven children back to Sacramento County, the subject of this review, Manuel J., having preceded him in 1898. Here the parents followed farming until they returned to Sacramento, the wife and mother passing away in 1918, while the father is still living.
Manuel J., spent the first six years of his life at Freeport and during the last year attended public school, when he went with his parents to Pico Island where he grew up on the farm and attended the local school until he was sixteen years of age. He always had a longing to return to his native place, so in 1898 he came back to Sacramento and immediately went to work to paddle his own canoe, his parents not joining him until later. For two years he followed fishing, saving his money, and as soon as he had earned enough he returned the money he had borrowed to pay his way back to the land of sunshine and flowers, after which he continued to save more money to send back to his parents so they could join him. Next he went to work on mail boats running between San Francisco and Sacramento, continuing for a period of four years. When he had accumulated sufficient capital, he leased a ranch in Yolo County, across the river from Freeport, and engaged in the raising of grain. Starting, also, with a small dairy, he prospered and in time purchased the ranch of 287 acres and began the improvements that have brought it to a high state of cultivation. With others, he started to build levees which were finally finished with power dredges in Reclamation District No. 900. Building up his dairy and sowing the whole ranch to alfalfa, he has been very successful. About 1908 Mr. Machado rented the ranch and located in Sacramento, when he built a commodious residence on X Street and since then he has also built eight flats on the corner of X and Twelfth Streets and in 1920 he completed the large, beautiful residence on X Street where he now resides with his family. Mr. Machado also owns a 200-acre ranch on Natomas No. 1000, five miles from Sacramento, which is devoted to raising beans and alfalfa, besides leasing 700 acres adjoining, where he is engaged in raising grain.
Mr. Machado married in Sacramento to Miss Marie Cory, who was born in Pico, and who came to California with her mother when she was eighteen years of age, her father having passed away in their native land. The mother is now also deceased. Mr. And Mrs. Machado have six children: Manuel and Hilda are graduates of Sacramento high school; and there are Mildred, Martha, Marling and Beatrice. Fraternally Mr. Machado is a member of the U. P. E. C., and politically he is a Republican.
Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
Source: Reed, G. Walter, History of Sacramento County, California With Biographical Sketches,
Pages
948-949. Historic Record Company, Los
Angeles, CA. 1923.
© 2007 Jeanne Taylor.