Santa
Clara County
Biographies
MICHAEL CASALEGNO
The fame of California is wide-spread and people of almost every nationality have flocked here. Italy has furnished her quota, and among them we find Michael Casalegno, who for nearly a quarter of a century has been a resident of this state. For many years he has lived upon a well-improved hill farm adjacent to Evergreen, Santa Clara county, and here he raises fruit, hay and grain, having gained quite a reputation as a farmer. The city of Turin,, Italy, is claimed by Mr. Casalegno as the place of his nativity, his birth occurring October 3, 1868. He is the youngest child of Sebastian and Annette (Musso) Casalegno, highly respected and influential citizens of the vicinity of Turin, Italy. The father is a large land owner in that section and a farmer by occupation; he and his wife have reared a family of five children, two sons and three daughters, several of them now being residents of America.
The education of Michael Casalegno was somewhat meagre and he attended school in his native locality, afterward assisting his father in farm pursuits. In 1884, when sixteen years old, he left sunny Italy and sailed for America, joining his brother Thomas in California. For a number of years he assisted the latter in ranching pursuits, but in 1892 he purchased land and engaged in farming on his own behalf. At this time he bought one hundred and ten acres in the Pellier tract, planted thirty acres in vines, ten acres in fruit trees, and upon the balance of his land he raises hay and grain.
The marriage of Michael Casalegno occurred upon the farm which is still his home and united him with Miss Josephine Pellier, who was born and reared upon this same place. Her father, P. Pellier, was a native of France, as was also her mother, who before her marriage was Henrietta Renaud. In 1849 or 1850 the Pelliers came to California, took up land near the present vicinity of Evergreen, being among the pioneer settlers of the vicinity. Here Mr. Pellier acquired three hundred and thirty acres of land, upon which he followed farm pursuits until his death in 1894. His wife also died upon this place. Their family consisted of four children, of which Mrs. Casalegno is the youngest; one son is now deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Casalegno four children have been born, namely: Sebastian Thomas, Marsella Josephine, Alex A. and Alfred M., all at home. The family united in worshiping at the Catholic Church. In his political views Michael Casalegno is a stanch Republican. He is a man of liberal ideas, not bound by the edicts of any secret society, and in his neighborhood is universally esteemed.
Transcribed
6-9-15 Marilyn
R. Pankey.
ญญญญSource: History
of the State of California & Biographical Record of Coast Counties,
California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A. M., Pages 637-638. The Chapman
Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
ฉ 2015 Marilyn R. Pankey.