Sacramento County
Biographies
EPHRAIM RAY
EPHRAIM RAY, an old Californian, and
resident of Sacramento County
since 1850, is a native of the north of Ireland;
he was born there June 10, 1827. His father, John Ray, emigrated
to the United States with his family
in 1836; stopped a short life in New Jersey, and was
naturalized there, and then moved to Illinois, settling
in Clay County;
his death occurred about a year and a half afterward. Mrs.
Ray, whose maiden name was Jane Thompson, survived her husband about three
years. In their family were seven children, six sons and one
daughter; four of these are now living: William, Hugh and John in Clay County,
Illinois, and Ephraim here in California. The
latter was brought up as a farmer’s boy, and has passed all his life in the same
noble calling. After the death of his father he and his twin brother
Robert went to live with their brother Hugh, the third in order of birth; and
when they were sixteen or seventeen years old they secured teams and began hauling wheat from Rock River to Chicago. After
accumulating some money they took some land in Ogle
County, and commenced improving it
at such times as they were not otherwise occupied. In the fall of the year
they would make freighting trips between Chicago and Galena. Thus
they were employed until the California gold fever broke
out, and in the spring of 1850 they came with ox teams to Sacramento,
arriving in August. There they turned out their teams upon a ranch upon
the Cosumnes
River and went to the mines at
Folsom. They worked at Beale’s Bar at the junction of the north and south
forks of the river. After accumulating a little money they returned to Illinois.
Robert married and remained there until his death in February, 1884. In
the spring of 1852 Ephraim recrossed the plains with
ox teams to his far western home; and here he engaged in hauling freight
between Sacramento, Placerville, Georgetown
and other places and the mines. In 1854, he moved down to the McIntyre ranch in
Dry Creek
Township, and he has since been
engaged in agricultural pursuits and in the care of livestock. In 1876 he
disposed of his farm and moved into Galt, his present residence. He has
always been a hard-working man, devoting his attention principally to the
raising of cattle when it was on a good paying basis. When he quit the
ranch he let out on shares what cattle he had, sending them to Pit River in Modoc
County; six years afterward he
disposed of them altogether. One thing can be said of Mr. Ray that can be
said of very few men: he has always conducted his business in such a manner as
not to run in debt; and during the many years he has lived in California
he has never owed a man a dollar! Often he refrained from buying when a good
bargain might have been made because he had not the money in hand. Mr. Ray
is an Irishman by birth, a naturalized citizen of the United
States, a supporter of the Union
during the last war, and a Republican in his political views. He is a
charter member of Galt Lodge No. 83, K. of P.
Transcribed 9-9-07 Marilyn R. Pankey.
Source: Davis, Hon. Win. J., An Illustrated
History of Sacramento County, California. Pages 632-633.
Lewis Publishing Company. 1890.
© 2007 Marilyn R. Pankey.