Santa
Clara County
Biographies
ISAAC
DIXON
ISAAC DIXON. About the beginning of the nineteenth century
the Dixon family emigrated from Cumberlandshire,
England, to Ontario, Canada. John Dixon,
a native of England, was a child at the time of settling in the new world, and
in 1818 he started out for himself, hewing a home out of the woods near Peterboro. For years
he engaged in farming there, but in 1847 ill health led him to seek a change of
location. After spending the winter in
London, Ontario, in 1848 he proceeded by steamer and teams to St. Louis,
and from there walked to Independence, carrying his pack. Disappointed as to mining there, he returned
to St. Louis, intending to go south and west by the isthmus, but changed
his plans and went to Philadelphia.
After a winter in that city he sailed from New York for Galveston,
thence by steamer to Houston, and from there, in May of 1849, with a wagon and
five mules, he started on the overland southern route to California. While driving westward through Texas he had
trouble with the Indians, but met with no losses. From El Paso he drove through to Tucson,
Maricopa, Wells and Fort Yuma, and in November landed in Los Angeles, where he
and his family spent the winter. During
the spring of 1850 he traveled with ox teams up the coast to San Jose. Shortly afterward he bought two lots in Santa
Clara and built a house from a redwood tree.
During the summer of 1851 he worked in the mines at Mariposa, returning
home in the fall. He then took a sailing
vessel for Sydney, Australia, but after a short time there became ill, so
returned to San Francisco in 1853. Later
he bought a ranch near San Rafael, Marin county, and
cultivated the same until advancing years rendered manual labor unwise,
whereupon he returned to Santa Clara county.
At the time of his death he had attained eighty-five years of age. Longevity has been noticeable all through the
family history; his mother was ninety-four at death, and others of the
progenitors were spared to an unusual age.
The first marriage of John Dixon united
him with Mary J. Davidson, who was born near Belfast, Ireland, of Scotch
descent, and died in Canada. In her
family history longevity is also noticeable.
Her grandfather McKibbon lived to be one
hundred and seven years of age, dying near Belfast, Ireland. Notwithstanding his age he retained his
physical faculties to a remarkable degree and when one hundred years old worked
in the field pitching hay. Isaac Dixon
was the only child of his father’s first marriage, but by the second marriage
there were five children, all daughters.
He was born near Peterboro, Ontario, Canada,
November 18, 1826, and attended the Canadian schools. When his father started for the west he
accompanied him to St. Louis, thence to Independence, returning to Philadelphia,
thence to Texas, and from there drove a team of mules across the plains to
California. While in Texas he suffered
severely from the ague. In 1850 he came
from Los Angeles to Santa Clara, and the next year engaged in mining, after
which he worked on a farm.
In Santa Clara, November 12, 1854,
Isaac Dixon married Miss Catherine Messing, who was born in Hesse-Cassel, Germany, a daughter of Henry and Margaret (Rhoeling) Messing, natives of the same kingdom as
herself. Her father, who was a miller, died
when she was five years of age, and fifteen years later her mother passed
away. Of their seven children four came
to America, namely: Henry, who was a carriage-maker in San Jose and died here;
Mrs. Dorothea Hartman, who died in this city; Mrs. Henrietta Earl,
whose death also occurred here; and Mrs. Catherine Dixon, of San Jose, who
was next to the youngest in the family.
In 1853, she left Hamburg on the sailing vessel Louisa which cast anchor
in the harbor of San Francisco after a voyage around the Horn consuming six
months and two weeks. After landing she
joined her brother, who had settled in San Jose in 1849.
After his marriage Mr. Dixon rented a
farm where College Park now stands and operated the same until the spring of
1856, when he became interested in the Santa Clara tannery. In the fall of the same year he removed to
Marin county and carried on farm pursuits for a year,
later spending two years in Santa Clara county.
In the fall of 1859 he bought a ranch in the mountains and settled
thereon. His specialties were grain, hay
and stock-raising, and he also made important improvements in the land on the
foothills. His possessions included four
hundred and nine acres, seven and one-half miles from San Jose. In 1902 he rented the land and settled in San
Jose, later buying a residence at No. 279 North Twelfth street. While residing here and enjoying the rest his
former labors merit, he is by no means idle, but maintains a close supervision
of his properties and is particularly interested in the orchard on his farm,
some of whose apple trees, set out in 1860, are still bearing. With his wife he is warmly interested in the
Santa Clara Pioneer Association and the Webster Street Methodist Episcopal
Church. In connection with his record as
an original and stanch Republican, he is proud of the fact that he voted the
ticket at the Marin county election in 1857, his being the only Republican vote
cast in San Rafael at that time. In his
family there are seven living children, namely:
John, a builder, residing in Hollister, this state; James, who conducts
a harness shop in San Jose; Ella (Mrs. J. McReynolds); Mary (Mrs.
Archibald); and Annie (Mrs. Williams), all of San Jose; William, who resides on
the home ranch; and Laura Frances, who is with her parents.
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 385-386. The Chapman
Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
© 2015 Donna Toole.