Sacramento County
Biographies
JOHN McFARLAND
JOHN McFARLAND, one of the most noted farmers of Sacramento County, was born March 14, 1824, in Starlingshire, Scotland, son of John and Jeanette (Sands) McFarland. His father was a cooper by trade, but also carried on the mercantile business in Canada. He came to the United States in 1834 and returned to Canada, where he died in 1847. The mother died August 10, 1834. The had eleven children. The subject of this sketch was raised on a farm until he was fifteen years old, when he started out for himself, learning the carpenter and joiner’s trade, and also the vocation of a machinist. In 1834 he came from LaSalle, Illinois, overland to California, with horse teams, stopping at Placerville only a few days previous to the squatter riot at Sacramento, and saw some come into his town for protection. He also saw one of the men who were shot, and for a long time kept as a relic a piece of bone that came out of the arm of the wounded man. Starting from the States March 10, Mr. McFarland was about five months on the route. He stopped at Salt Lake, and helped to build a carriage or chariot for Brigham Young; he had charge of the work. This vehicle was built for a large celebration to be held July 25. It was drawn by twenty-four horses, and contained twenty-five young ladies, representing the twenty-fifth anniversary of their arrival at Salt Lake. On the upper deck of the chariot was a band with twenty-five instruments. One of the ladies is now Mrs. Clark, of Galt. On this trip Mr. McFarland rode from Salt Lake to Carson City on four scant meals. He rode about forty miles a day, and four days he had scarcely any food. He had no trouble with the Indians to speak of, but the train suffered much for want of provisions. On arrival in this State Mr. McFarland went to mining in Coon Hollow, and was the first man to bring water into El Dorado for mining purposes in 1851, selling it at 1$ an inch. Being the originator of the enterprise and the chief stockholder, he was elected president of the company. He made some money, but afterward lost it at Mokelumne Hill. In 1857 he sold out and located upon his present place, which he had purchased four years previously. It then consisted of 640 acres, but now there are 1,600 acres; he is cultivating 1,400 acres. This ranch is one of the finest and best improved in the country. There are about three acres in orchard and vineyard. On this place is the largest fig tree in the State of California. Mr. McFarland cast his first Presidential vote for General William H. Harrison, and remembers many interesting incidents connected with the celebrated hard-cider and log-cabin campaign of 1840. He is a member of Galt Lodge, No. 983, I. O. O. F., and of the Encampment. During the past ten years he has made several journeys to distant points.
Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
Davis, Hon. Win. J., An Illustrated History of
Sacramento County, California. Page 586. Lewis
Publishing Company. 1890.
© 2007 Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.