Sierra
County
Biographies
QUIRINO C. GUIDICI
Quirino C. Guidici, whose
splendid ranch of three hundred and twenty acres is located one mile northwest
of Loyalton, is one of Sierra county’s highly
respected and prosperous farmers. He
record since coming to this valley is one of hard and persistent labor, the
fruits of which he is now enjoying. He
was born in Canton Ticino, Switzerland, on the 4th of June, 1871,
and is a son of Stephen and Josephine Guidici, both
of whom were lifelong residents of this locality, with the exception of about a
year which the father spent in California.
To them were born three sons and a daughter: Quirino; Frank who
lives at Winnemucca, Nevada; Mrs. Pedrolli, a widow,
who lives in Winnemucca; and Pietro, on the old home
farm in Switzerland.
Quirino C. Guidici received a
fair education in the public schools of his native country and also attended a
military school. He has always been a
constant reader, a close student of affairs in general and a keen observer, and
is a well informed man on a wide range of subjects. He also fluently speaks the English, French
and Italian languages. When not yet
fifteen years of age he came to the United States, and located at Loyalton, where he attended the public schools in order to
quickly acquire a knowledge of the English
language. He worked steadily for David
Russell for seven years at a wage of fifteen dollars a month. The Russell farm, of three hundred and twenty
acres, is now Mr. Guidici’s home farm, having come to
him in an unusual way. Mr. Russell’s
will gave all of his property to the Washoe County
Bank, of Reno, Nevada. The court held
the estate open for five or six years after his demise in an effort to discover
if he had any heirs. In the meantime the
executors of the estate prevailed upon Mr. Guidici to
assume the management of the ranch, which he did. Later he rented the place for a number of years
and finally, in 1912, bought it outright from the Washoe County Bank. In this deal he went heavily in debt, but in
the course of time, through hard work and good management, he made the final
payment on the land and has since devoted his attention tirelessly to its
management, with very satisfactory results.
His long connection with this ranch led him to conclude that hay was the
crop best adapted to the soil and he has since specialized in this crop. He raises annually about two hundred and
fifty tons of hay, including clover, timothy and bunch grass. He finds the latter the best of all, as it
produces an excellent flow of milk in milch cows,
puts fat on the ribs of beef cattle and gives strength and energy to
horses. This is one of the most
beautifully located ranches in the entire Sierra Valley. One valuable feature of it is a constantly
flowing artesian well of pure, cold water.
Mr. Guidici
was married and is the father of four children, namely: Charles, who was killed at the age of six
years, being accidentally shot by a playmate, who did not know that the gun he
held was loaded; Stephen, Alice and Frances, who are residing with their mother
in Loyalton.
Mr. Guidici lives alone on the ranch and is an excellent housekeeper, as well as capable farmer, the
home and premises being kept in the best of order and clean as a pin. He keeps about sixty head of cattle on the
ranch, as well as six horses, a few hogs and some poultry. He gives his political support to the
Republican Party, is a consistent supporter of every movement for the public
good and is highly regarded by his neighbors and acquaintances.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
Wooldridge, J.W.Major History of Sacramento Valley
California, Vol. 3 Pages 181-182. Pioneer Historical
Publishing Co. Chicago 1931.
© 2010 Gerald Iaquinta.
Golden Nugget Library's Sierra County
Biographies