San Joaquin County
Biographies
JOHN B. HARELSON
JOHN B. HARELSON was born in
Kentucky, July 15, 1818, his parents being Ezekiel and Anna (Beagles) Harelson,
both natives of North Carolina. The father was a farmer by occupation and
emigrated to Ohio in an early day, thence to Kentucky. Finally, at the age of
seventy-five years, he moved to Wisconsin, where he died in 1855. John B. was
raised on a farm in Kentucky, remaining at home till he was eighteen years old,
when he went to Wisconsin, engaging in mining and farming. In the spring of
1850 he and his two brothers, Edmund and Ezekiel, both of whom are now
deceased, started across the plains with mules and horses. Their destination
was the American river, where they mined about fourteen months, with but
moderate success. They returned to Wisconsin in October, 1852, via the Isthmus.
They remained there until 1864, when he sold out his property there and
returned to California with his family, crossing the plains for the second
time. at St. Joseph, Missouri, Mr. Harelson was chosen captain of a company of about
100 people as he had crossed the plains before. The trip was a pleasant one and
they landed in the beautiful San Joaquin Valley, in September, the same year.
Mr. Harelson shortly after purchased his present property, containing 120 acres
of choice farming land, situated about six miles from Stockton on the Waterloo
road. The ranch is principally devoted to the production of hay and grain. He
also owns 160 acres in Fresno County.
Mr. Harelson was married in January, 1852,
to Miss Candace Graves, a native of Missouri. They have five children, namely:
Ella, wife of J. B. Worley; Martha, wife of Henry Irvine; Lucy, wife of Stephen
Overhiser; Flora A., and Effa B.
Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
An Illustrated History of San Joaquin County,
California, Pages 592-593. Lewis Pub.
Co. Chicago, Illinois 1890.
© 2009 Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
Golden Nugget Library's San Joaquin County
Biographies
Golden Nugget Library's San Joaquin County
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