San
Joaquin County
Biographies
MRS. HATTIE E. HUNTLEY
Among the pioneer women of San
Joaquin County, is Mrs. Hattie E. Huntley, who resides in the Lone Tree
district about four miles northeast of Escalon, where she owns an excellent
ranch of 120 acres, all under cultivation.
She is a good business manager, and since the death of her husband she
has most creditably borne the obligations and duties laid
upon her. She was born in Iowa July 6,
1856, a daughter of Calvin S. Thornton, and she was a small girl of five years
when her family left Iowa for California.
The night before the emigrant train was to leave; the rebel soldiers
stole all the horses belonging to the party, which delayed them for two
weeks. Calvin S. Thornton and his family
reached California in the fall of 1862 and located near Linden, where he farmed
for two years to grain and stock; in 1864 he removed to a ranch on the Sonora
Road in the Lone Tree school district, where Mrs. Huntley now makes her
home. Here Mr. Thornton took up
Government land when there were only three families in the district and Mrs.
Thornton taught the first school, having twelve pupils. Calvin S. Thornton proved up on eighty acres,
which he farmed to grain. Three sons and
two daughters were born to this worthy pioneer couple: Oscar, a Civil War veteran, came around the
Horn to California in 1867 and now resides in San Francisco; Julius E. is
deceased; J. Milan resides in Escalon; Mrs. Ada Hall resides at Salida; and
Hattie E. Huntley, the subject of this sketch.
For many years Mr. Thornton was a trustee of the Lone Tree School
District and was otherwise connected with the growth and development of his
locality; he passed away at the home place February 2, 1894, Mrs. Thornton
surviving him until September 28, 1904.
On April 5, 1877, Miss Hattie E.
Thornton was married to Edwin Everett Huntley, a native of Ione, California,
born May 14, 1854, the eldest son of Lyman and Matilda (Brown) Huntley. Lyman Huntley crossed the plains with ox
teams in 1850 and located in El Dorado County, where he engaged in mining. After their marriage, the young people
located on a farm near what is now known as Riverbank, where Mr. Huntley
continued his farming pursuits. Six
children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Huntley:
Dora is the wife of Fay Thornton, and they have two daughters and reside
at Escalon; Idelete, Mrs. James Beasley, resides in
Modesto and has six children; Lyman L. is married and has five children, and is
a rancher residing in the Lone Tree School District; Effie, Mrs. Charles
Miller, passed away February 13, 1914, leaving one son, Roy; Hattie E., Mrs.
Garvey Donahue, has one daughter and resides at Arvin, California; Estella,
Mrs. George Hill, has two sons and they reside at Knights Ferry; John Huntley
is an adopted son and is now the manager of the home place. Mr. Huntley passed away on March 26,
1921. Following her husband’s death,
Mrs. Huntley took up her abode on the old Thornton home place and is active in
its management. This ranch consists of
120 acres, ten acres of which is in vineyard and the balance is devoted to raising
alfalfa and corn, and to a fine dairy maintained on the ranch. Mrs. Huntley is an active member of the
United Brethren Church at Riverbank.
Transcribed by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George H., History of San
Joaquin County, California , Pages
1470-1471. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2012 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
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