San Joaquin County
Biographies
AMASA ALLEN GUERNSEY
AMASA ALLEN GUERNSEY, a
farmer of Elliott Township, was born in Windham County, Vermont, October 15, 1806, son of Amasa and Mary E. Guernsey.
He finished his education at the academy of Gouverneur, New York,
which he attended three years, studying all the higher branches, including
Greek and Latin. Being inclined to the ministry, he accepted the position of
pastor of the Baptist church at Fowler, New York, where he organized the church and preached for six
years as missionary there and in other places. He then went to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he was pastor of the church there for two
years. On occasions he preached in Detroit, Michigan. He next went to Strongville, Ohio, where he remained four years. During that time he
was pastor of the church there, increasing the membership from eighteen to 150
members in good standing. He went to Wisconsin, settling
at Kenosha. While there he built the first church made of
concrete in that State; it was 40 x 60 feet.
In 1853 he came to California, by water, landing in San
Francisco, and going directly
to Sacramento. From there he went to Petaluma, where he was engaged in teaching school in Sonoma County, also preaching, but his eyes failed him and he had
to resign. He was the organizer of a church there and of one in Blucher valley,
where he remained for five years. In 1858 he came to this county and bought a
ranch, consisting of a half section of land. Mr. Guernsey has been married four
times. His first wife was Miss Lydia Holebrook, a native of Gouverneur, New York, who died in 1857. They had four children, namely:
Susan K., Julia H., Cornelia D. and Amasa A., Jr. His second wife was Frances
L. Buckner, a native of Virginia,
who died December 20, 1867. He was then united to Lucinda Moore, a native of Illinois, who died July 20, 1876. His present wife is Mary R.
Stowe, a native of Geneva, New
York.
Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
An Illustrated History of San Joaquin County,
California, Pages 382-383. Lewis Pub.
Co. Chicago, Illinois 1890.
© 2009 Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
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