Santa Clara County
Biographies
ELIAS HANS FREELYN
ELIAS HANS FREELYN. The success which marks the career of
Elias Hans Freelyn has been the result of his own
unaided efforts, the concentration of his energies and ability in the one line
that meant for him a competence in future days. He is well known in Santa Clara
county, owning now two small ranches, entirely adapted
to the cultivation of fruit prunes, apricots and peaches occupying the
greater part of the land. He also conducts a fruit dryer, which has added no
little to his income.
A native of Denmark, Mr. Freelyn
was born June 13, 1843, and was reared to manhood in the little peninsular
country which he knew as home, acquiring his education in the common schools
there. In 1865, when twenty-two years old, he came to the United States and
located in New York state, where he was employed to assist on a farm for some
years. With the thrift and frugality which is a Danish characteristic he saved
sufficient means to enable him to begin farming for himself, when he came as
far west as Wayne county, Mich., and was so engaged for seven years. Deciding
then to come to California he located in Cupertino, Santa Clara county, purchasing fifteen acres on Prospect avenue, now in
the Lincoln school district. This he devoted to the cultivation of fruit,
setting out prunes, apricots and peaches, and in time adding to the value of
his property by erecting a handsome residence and modern and substantial barns.
In 1894 he bought another place of twenty-five acres, this being on the Titus
and Langtree tract, and on this he also raises the
same varieties of fruit.
In New York Mr. Freelyn
was united in marriage with Mrs. Cornelia Ingersoll, a native of that
state. Mrs. Freelyn had one child by her former
marriage, George De Kay, who is a Congregational preacher. Mr. Freelyn is a Democrat in his political affiliations and
fraternally is a member of the Grange.
Transcribed by Marie Hassard 03 July 2016.
ญญญญSource: History
of the State of California & Biographical Record of Coast Counties,
California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A. M., Page
1244. The Chapman Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
ฉ 2016 Marie Hassard.