Santa
Clara County
Biographies
PETER TURNER
Ranking high among the enterprising and
industrious agriculturist of Santa Clara county is
Peter Turner, a prosperous farmer of the Canada valley. He was born in county Louth, Ireland, where his parents, Patrick and Catherine (O’Hear) Turner, spent their entire lives, the father
working at the weaver’s trade during his active career.
Brought up without any educational
advantages, and early thrown upon his own resources, Peter Turner went to
England in search of employment. In 1853 he immigrated to America, locating in New
Orleans, where he worked as a gardener for some time, earning good wages.
Hearing wonderful stories of the riches to be obtained from California’s auriferous
soil, he came by way of the Isthmus of Panama to San Francisco in 1863, and
went directly to the mining districts of Nevada county. Not at all successful in
his efforts to find gold, Mr. Turner went back to San Francisco, from there
coming to San Jose, where he soon found employment. Subsequently locating in
the Canada valley, Santa Clara county, he took up a homestead claim of one
hundred and sixty acres, but sold it before making any improvements. He
afterward bought a squatter’s right, and also pre-empted one hundred and sixty
acres, situated ten miles southeast of Gilroy, and has since resided here. A
man of indomitable resolution and perseverance, he labored untiringly in his
efforts to improve a farm, and has now a fine ranch containing more than two
hundred acres, on which he has made marked improvements, having erected a
substantial set of buildings, which are both convenient and commodious and his
farm is amply supplied with the necessary implements and machinery for
successfully carrying on his agricultural operations. He carries on general
farming, raising hay, grain and cattle.
Politically Mr. Turner is a
steadfast supporter of the principles of the Democratic party, and religiously
he is a devout Catholic.
Transcribed By: Cecelia M. Setty.
Source: History of the State of California & Biographical Record of Coast
Counties, California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A. M., Page 1386. The Chapman
Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
© 2016 Cecelia M. Setty.