San Francisco County
Ellis A. Haines
Ellis A. Haines, a farmer residing in Oakland, was born in Frederick county, Virginia, January 2, 1829, a son of Thornton Washington and Sarah (Baer) Haines, both natives of that State. The mother died young of an acute disease to which she had no inherited tendency, leaving four children, two of whom are living, on this coast,--E. A. in Oakland, and Susan Elizabeth, the wife of James W. Hudson, a farmer of Alameda county. The grandfather, Benjamin Haines, lived to be over seventy years old, dying on the home place in Frederick county. T. W. Haines, referred to, moved from there to Ohio, where his wife died, about 1835. They lived in Franklin county, Ohio, until Ellis A. was about thirteen years old, and then, about 1842, removed to White county. Indiana. The father, born in 1796,died in Tippecanoe county, Indiana, in 1849. One of his brothers, Benjamin, also a farmer, settled in Illinois about 1840.
Mr. Haines, our subject whose name introduces this sketch, was brought up to farm life, and arrived at Hangtown, this State, August 12, 1850, coming overland. He followed mining about fourteen months, but did not “strike it rich.” In December, 1851, he went into Sacramento county, prospecting for agricultural land, and struck good land near San Leandro, Alameda county, settled there, and bought, in 1856, nearly 600 acres, with a partner. They had meanwhile rented and cultivated land in that vicinity, raising barley and potatoes for the first two or three years, and later wheat also. They gradually drifted into cattle-raising, which has since been Mr. Haines’ chief pursuit. In 1857 the partnership was dissolved, Mr. Haines receiving 158 acres, and his share of the cattle. A few years later he purchased 133 acres which became the “home place,” and held it until 1888. When he bought it he sold the 158 acres of the older place. In 1879 he bought two places, amounting to 1,550 acres, in that neighborhood, and he has carried on some general farming ever since, but his main industry has been the rearing of livestock.
Mr. Haines has been a Freemason ever since 1872, joining the order in Oakland. In 1865 or 1866 he had taken up his residence in this city. He is a director in the Oakland Savings Bank, since 1884; he had been previously a director of the Union Savings Bank for about twelve years.
He has been East three or four times since he came to this coast. During one of those visits, when he was in La Fayette, Indiana, he married Miss Mary Health, the daughter of a merchant of that place. He was a native of Ohio, and lived to be about seventy-seven years old, but his wife died at the age of thirty-five years. Mr. and Mrs. Haines have three living children, born on the “home place:” Thornton Washington, John Joshua, Charles Warner. The two eldest completed their school days at Heald’s Business College in San Francisco. The removal to Oakland was mainly for the education of the sons. The oldest married Miss D. Nora Heller, who was born in Hayward, a daughter of Thomas Heller. Her father is still living, aged about sixty-five years; and her mother lived to be about sixty. Mr. T. W. Haines has two daughters: Ella and Miriam. All three of the sons are residing upon their father’s land,--T. W. near San Leandro, and the other two near Hayward, their chief vocation being that of rearing livestock.
Transcribed
by David Rugeroni.
Source: "The
Bay of San Francisco," Vol. 2, Page 218, Lewis
Publishing Co, 1892.
©
2005 David Rugeroni.