Siskiyou
County
Biographies
EDSON L. FOULKE
For
many years a prominent figure in the livestock business in Siskiyou County, and
one of the most substantial citizens here, Edson L. Foulke is widely and
favorably known throughout this section of the Sacramento Valley. He was born in San Francisco, on the 23rd
of October, 1877, and is a son of Lewis M. and Susan Elizabeth (Edson) Foulke,
the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Illinois. Lewis M. Foulke came across the plains in
1852, locating at first in Quartz valley, where he engaged in mining near
Greenview. Subsequently he gave much of
his time to politics. He was at the head
of the Republican Party in Siskiyou County, was elected to the state senate and
to other offices and served on various party committees, while eventually he
held the position of United States internal revenue collector. To him and his wife were born eight children,
as follows: Elizabeth, who died December
17, 1902; Edson L., of this review; Leland Stanford, was named for Leland
Stanford, between whom and his father there existed a warm friendship, and who
died February 16, 1928; Margaret, who is the wife of W. H. Esterbrook, a miner; Lewis, who
is engaged in stock raising and dairying at Gazelle, Siskiyou County, and three
who died in infancy. The father passed
away on July 6, 1906, and the mother’s death occurred August 20, 1927.
Edson L. Foulke attended the grade schools of Siskiyou
County, then spent one year in high school at Yreka, and completed his high
school course in Oakland. Later he
entered the livestock business with his father and uncle. They operated on a large scale for a number
of years, or until about seven years ago, when Mr. Foulke’s health failed and
he sold out his family interests and retired, living quietly in his home in
Yreka. However, after a short time he
again engaged in the stock business and is now running about two thousand head
of cattle on leased pasture lands. For
many years he has been one of the most prominent cattle men of this locality
and has met with success that attests his industry and business ability.
In
1905 Mr. Foulke was united in marriage to Miss Blanche Taylor, a daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Henry C. Taylor. Mr. and
Mrs. Foulke are the parents of three children, namely: Edson L., Jr., born in 1907, is at home and
assisting his father in the stock business; Katherine M., born October 7, 1912,
is now a student in the junior college of the University of California at
Berkeley; and Elizabeth, born May 14, 1916, is attending high school at
Yreka. Mr. Foulke is a Republican but
does not take a very active part in politics.
In early life his favorite sport was bird shooting, but in later years
he prefers travelling. He is
public-spirited, standing for progress in all lines of human endeavor, and is
well liked by all who know him.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
Wooldridge, J. W. Major,
History of Sacramento Valley California, Vol. 2 Pages
268-269. Pioneer Historical Publishing Co. Chicago 1931.
© 2010 Gerald Iaquinta.
Golden Nugget Library's Siskiyou
County Biographies