Santa
Clara County
Biographies
GEORGE
W. BLACKFORD
GEORGE W. BLACKFORD. Locating in San Jose when the city was young,
George W. Blackford has since been identified with its material
development and improvement, while in the advancement of its intellectual and
moral welfare he has been liberal with his means and personal
encouragement. Fitted for a lawyer, he
successfully practiced his profession for many years, but is now devoting his
attention to the culture of fruit, being one of the most extensive orchardists
of this part of Santa Clara county. Building a fine residence at No. 53
South Sixth street, he has bestowed much thought upon
the developing and beautifying of his home, making it attractive to his family
and their many friends. A son of Samuel
Blackford, he was born in Mount Vernon, Knox county,
Ohio, in December, 1833, of substantial Virginia stock.
Coming from thrifty Scotch ancestry,
Samuel Blackford was born and brought up in Pennsylvania. Later in life he took up land in Knox county, Ohio, where he cleared and improved a farm. Removing thence to Missouri, he lived for awhile[sic] in Brunswick, but did not like the country
roundabout well enough to settle there.
In 1850, with a wagon drawn by three yoke of oxen, he started across the
plains with his family, coming by the Truckee route to Nevada City, being six
months en route. Indians molested the
party, stealing many cattle; and several of the company died of cholera, among
them being Mr. Blackford’s wife.
Locating near San Jose, he bought one hundred and sixty acres of wild
land, from which he improved a ranch, on which he was engaged in agricultural
pursuits until his death, at the age of seventy years, in 1862. He married Mary Hutton, who was born in
Philadelphia, Pa., of Quaker ancestry, and who died while crossing the plains,
at Green river. Of the four daughters
and two sons born of their marriage, three daughters are deceased.
The fifth child in the parental family,
George W. Blackford, received his preliminary education in the public
schools of Mount Vernon, Ohio, and in Brunswick, Mo., living in the latter
place from 1847 until 1850. Coming then
with the family to San Jose, he at first assisted in the pioneer labor of
improving a homestead. Entering the
University of the Pacific in 1855, he was graduated from there, as a member of
the second class, in 1859, receiving the degree of A. B. Subsequently studying law, he was for a time
with Judge Reardon, of Marysville, and in 1861 was admitted to the bar. Immediately beginning the practice of his
profession, he was first located in Marysville, and then in Timbuctoo. Removing thence to Dayton, Nev., he remained
there a few years, meeting with encouraging success. Returning to San Jose in 1865,
Mr. Blackford opened an office in this city, and for thirty-four years was
one of the leading attorneys of this section of Santa Clara county,
having a large and remunerative practice.
Retiring from his profession in 1899 he turned his attention to
horticulture, and began the improvement of his one hundred and sixty-acre
ranch. Devoting his land to the raising
of fruit, he has an orchard of one hundred and twenty acres on the Los Gatos
road, about four miles from San Jose, where he raises prunes, cherries and
apricots, and near Berryessa he has a smaller orchard
which he devotes to peaches, prunes and apricots. In this line of industry Mr. Blackford
has all the latest improved equipments, including driers, etc., and is meeting
with most satisfactory results.
In Santa Clara county Mr. Blackford
married Lillie G. Hassenger, a native of
Philadelphia, Pa., and they have six children, namely: Lillie, of San Jose; Mrs. May Herbert,
of San Francisco; Alice; Maude; Mrs. Florence Moody, of San Jose; and
Walter, superintendent of the home ranch.
Politically Mr. Blackford is a Democrat. He belongs to the Santa Clara County Pioneer
Association, and is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen.
Transcribed by Donna Toole.
Source: History
of the State of California & Biographical Record of Coast Counties,
California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A. M., Pages 635-636. The Chapman
Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
© 2015 Donna Toole.