San
Joaquin County
Biographies
ELISHA HOLT FINE
In a history of agricultural
development of San Joaquin County mention should be made of Elisha Holt Fine,
that worthy pioneer who began his farming activities in the county fifty years
ago. His death on March 14, 1921, marked
the passing of a progressive and influential citizen of the Linden district of
the county. His career was crowned with
a gratifying success which he had honorably won and his exemplary life could
well be imitated by future generations.
His birth occurred in Lafayette County, Missouri, November 28, 1836, on
his father’s farm, where he was reared to young manhood. In April, 1853, the family started across the
plains to California, driving a herd of cattle and five months later, in
September, they arrived in San Jose with about eighty head, having lost a great
many. They encountered considerable
inconvenience crossing the plains on account of the scarcity of water, but
reached their destination with no serious trouble with the Indians. The family settled at Mayfield, where they
remained for a few years, then moved to Contra Costa County and located in
Moraga Valley, where they acquired extensive grazing land and engaged in the
stock business on a large scale; Mr. Fine for years ran his stock in San Luis
Obispo and Tulare counties maintaining a large number of cattle. During the dry years of 1864-5 he suffered
severe reverses, but with true, pioneer spirit he met and overcame them.
The marriage of Mr. Fine occurred in
Tulare County, September 22, 1864, and united him with Miss Martha Ann Blair,
also a native of Missouri, born January 9, 1847. At ten years of age she accompanied her
parents across the plains to California, her father, Rev. Jonathan Blair, being
a Presbyterian minister. They landed in
Red Bluff, California, but their destination was the Sonoma Valley. Mr. Fine continued to reside in Moraga Valley
until 1872, when he sold out and located on a ranch at Linden, where he reared
his family of six daughters and one son.
When Mr. Fine came to the ranch some of it was heavily timbered, which
in time he cleared and in 1895 he planted orchards of prunes, peaches and
apricots. The home ranch consists of 220
acres northeast of Linden and the improvements and developments which Mr. Fine
accomplished on this ranch were indicative of his industry and
thoroughness. He served as a trustee of
the Linden school and was an honored member of the I. O. O. F. Lodge. His family were
members of the Methodist Church, South, of Linden. On March 12, 1920, the home was darkened by
the passing of the wife and mother and on March 14, 1921, Mr. Fine passed away,
sincerely mourned by the entire community where he had labored so faithfully
for forty-nine years. After the parents’
death the ranch was divided among the heirs, the portion with the family
residence being now the property of Miss Lena E. Fine and her
thirty-three-acres, nearly all orchard, is among the
choicest properties in this section of the county, and she is a worthy
representative of this honored pioneer.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
638-643. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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