ANDREW K. WACKMAN

Sacramento County

Biographies

ANDREW K. WACKMAN

ANDREW K. WACKMAN, farmer, San Joaquin Township, was born in Ross County, Ohio, eight miles south of Chillicothe, on the Scioto River, December 31, 1833. His grandfather, Marcus Wackman, was a resident of New York State, but whether a native of that State or not is not definitely known. His wife’s maiden name was Maria Cole. Marcus spent the greater part of his life in that State, and when advanced in years made his home with his son, John Wackman, in Ohio, where he died. In his family were four sons and two daughters: Abram, John, James, Jacob, Mary and Lovina. Abram, John and James moved to Ohio and died there; the two daughters also died in Ohio, and Jacob passed the remainder of his days in New York State. John Wackman moved to Ohio when a young man, and there married Harriet Kelly. They made their home in Ross County during their life-time and died there, he in 1836 and she May 1, 1885, at the age of ninety years. She retained a good memory and did not become childish. In her family were four sons and two daughters: Marcus, Mary Louisa Jane, Harrison, Eliza Jane, John and Andrew K. Harrison was the only one to come to California, arriving in 1850; he died in this county, in 1880, never having married. Soon after Mrs. Wackman’s birth in Virginia, her parents moved to Ross County, Ohio, and remained there during their lives. Her father, Andrew Kelly, died at the age of ninety years, ten months and eight days. After the death of his first wife, Mary Thomas, who was the mother of four children, he married, in Ohio, a lady named Caton. The first children were John, Harriet, Elizabeth and Harrison; and by the second marriage there were Washington, William, Cornelius, Andrew, Ripley, Edward, Mary, Malinda, Anna and Jane. Andrew and Ripley crossed the plains to California in 1849, and William and Cornelius in 1851. Andrew and Ripley mined together from 1849 to 1854, when Andrew settled on the Cosumnes River; Ripley was in Sacramento a number of years and then settled in Plumas County; he was at one time a member of the Legislature from that county; Cornelius went to Idaho in 1863 and resided there fifteen years; William went to Idaho with Cornelius, and the year afterward returned to Sacramento, where he resided until his death. Mr. Andrew K. Wackman, the subject of this sketch, is the youngest of the family and the only one now living. He remained in Ross County, Ohio, until 1852, when he went to Scott County, Iowa, on a visit, desiring soon afterward to come on to California. He remained in Iowa a year, and, failing to persuade his friends to come with him, he returned to Ohio. In the spring of 1863, however, when the war of the Rebellion was in active progress, he obtained the consent of his mother that he might come to the Coast. Going to New York to take sail, he just missed a steamer starting for the Isthmus, and he had to lie over eleven days for the next one, the North Star, on which he took passage April 20, for Panama. On this side he took passage on the Moses Taylor, an old boat on her last trip, and landed in San Francisco May 15. He came almost immediately to this county and stopped with his brother Harrison on the Cosumnes River. He and his brother bought a steam thresher and they followed grain-threshing part of the year and farming the remainder. Theirs was the first threshing-machine ever run in this valley. For a year and a half they conducted a store and saloon at Sheldon; ever since then Mr. Wakeman has been a farmer and stock-raiser. In 1871 he bought land on the Cosumnes River, in 1874 another tract adjoining, and the total area now is 600 acres, of fine land. A part of this is river deposit, or what is commonly called “bottom land,” and is excellent for raising corn or anything else excepting wheat. He has nearly 100 head of horses and cattle; has some fine specimens of blooded horses specially adapted to speed. Politically Mr. Wakeman is a Democrat, but takes no particular part in political matters. He was married in Sacramento January 19, 1869, to Miss Mary Amanda, a daughter of Louis Colton. The Coltons are old settlers in this State, although Mrs. Wackman was born in Illinois; she was reared mostly in California. She died May 30, 1884, leaving three children. She was a woman of excellent worth and her death created a vacancy that can never be filled. The children are: Etta May, Harry Harold, and Creed Colton, all born in this county.

Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.

Davis, Hon. Win. J., An Illustrated History of Sacramento County, California. Pages 593-594. Lewis Publishing Company. 1890.