BIOGRAPHICAL AND DESCRIPITIVE
MATTER PERTAINING
TO OUR ILLUSTRATIONS FROM
DENT TOWNSHIP.
1879
C. G.
BAILEY and wife are both natives of Georgia. They have had
six children, five of whom are still living. Mr. Bailey came to California in
1856. His farm is situated in Dent Township, contains 508 acres, and was
purchased by him in 1867. The farm was first settled about 1853 or ‘54 by Fagan
& Abernathy. The major portion of the farm is under cultivation, is well
improved and yields abundant returns for the labor and care bestowed upon it.
Mr. Bailey has a quantity of fine stock upon his place, and has furnished his
farm with all the machinery and appliances required by an enterprising and
successful farmer. Wheat is his principal crop. Since he came into possession
of the place he has erected a new house which cost $1,800. A view of his house
and grounds will be found elsewhere.
STOEL
CADY was born April 18, 1824, in Otsego County, N.Y. He
crossed the plains in 1849. He mined a few months in 1850 on the North Fork of
the American river. From there he proceeded to Sacramento where he followed
various avocations until Christmas of 1850. At this time he took up some land
in Stanislaus County, but abandoned it after putting in one crop, on account of
a Spanish grant claim that was hanging over it. He then came to San Joaquin
County and took up the land, in Dent Township, where he now resides. This with
the purchase since made forms a large ranch of over 1100 acres, nearly all of
which is undergoing cultivation. In 1853 Mr. Cady went to Illinois and brought
back across the plains a quantity of cattle, which he drove to his place here.
When the country became more settled he retired from the cattle trade, and has
since devoted his attention to general farming. It was on this second trip
across the plains that he met Miss N. J. Pringle, who afterwards, August 1,
1854, became his wife. They have four children, all of whom are living. Mr.
Cady’s residence was built in 1856. A view of this place will be found on
another page.
MICHAEL
C. CARROLL was born in Kilkenny, Ireland, in the year 1828. He
came to America when eighteen years of age, and followed the blacksmith’s trade
in New London, Conn., until 1852, at which time he embarked for California via
Panama. He arrived in San Francisco in the spring of 1853, and at once went to
the mines in Placer County, where he followed mining for four or five years. He
then worked at blacksmithing for two years in Stockton. In 1861 he purchased
his present ranch in Dent Township, from John O’Malley, and has since made
other purchases, until his place now contains 720 acres, all finely improved
and under cultivation. His farm is well stocked and supplied with everything
needed by a practical farmer. In the fall of 1876, at an expense of $3,000, he
completed the house in which he is now residing. He married Miss Mary Mulroney,
October 27, 1850. They have four children, three boys and one girl. A view of
his place is given on another page.
L.R.
CHALMERS was born in Albany, New York, Jan. 29, 1818, and came
overland to California in 1849. He spent about six months in the mines at
Merced Falls, and then went to San Joaquin County and settled at the place now
called Collegeville. There were at that time but two houses between Stockton
and Stanislaus river, and none between him and Stockton. In 1866 a college was
built near this place from which it received its name. This college, which cost
$8,000, was destroyed by fire in 1874. At the time Mr. Chalmers settled there
the country teeming with elk, deer, antelope and wild horses. In 1853 he
corralled twelve wild horses, but was unable to do anything with them; the
first one caught broke its neck. By summer following, in 1853, he raised sixty-two
bushels of wheat to an acre, and now averages 20 bushels per acre. He owns 160
acres of land, a mixture of adobe and sand, all under cultivation. In 1856-7
Mr. Chalmers was engaged in coal mining in Corral Hollow in this County. He
practiced medicine for twenty years but has discontinued the practice for the
past eight years. A view of his place will be found elsewhere.
WILLIAM
H. HUGHES was born in Greene Co., Penn., June 6, 1821. After
arriving at maturity he engaged in farming at that place for about three years.
Jan. 12, 1845 he married Miss Margaret L. Hill, and soon afterwards removed to
Clark Co., Mo., at which place Mrs. Hughes died in March, 1850. Their two
children, are both living. Mrs. Hughes was a native of Ohio. Mr. Hughes was
married March 20, 1851, to Miss Eliza Jane Dye, of Scotland Co., Mo. They have
had ten children, all of whom are now living. In 1853 he started for California
with his family; bringing, in conjunction with some other parties, a number of
cattle. They arrived in Sonora, Tuolumne Co., Sept. 24, 1853. He immediately
commenced mining at Shaw’s Flats, where he remained until Feb., 1855. He then
removed to a ranch in the mountains, three miles south of Sonora. In Dec. 1857,
he settled in Dent Township, San Joaquin Co., on the Stanislaus river, which
place he has since made his home. His place contains over 1,300 acres, 1,000 of
which he cultivates successfully and profitably. He is extensively engaged in
stock raising. On his place are a very fine jack, thirty-five mules, thirty
horses, and also a stock of cattle and hogs. His fine residence was erected in
1874 at a cost of $2,000. A view of his place is given on another page.
L. L. HUNTLEY was born in Allegany Co., N.Y.,
in 1826. From 1830 to 1842 the family lived in Pennsylvania and Ohio, at which
latter time they moved to Pike Co., Ill. He engaged in farming there until
1850, when he started overland for California, arriving in Grass Valley Aug.
18, 1850. In company with N.M. Tucker he drove the first wagon over what is known
as the Truckee route. Worked in placer diggings at Macosmee, now Michigan Bar,
for one month, and then went to Dry creek, near Dry Town, where he remained six
years. He then came down the Stanislaus river and located at his present home.
He has since added to the 160 acres originally purchased, until he now owns
1,000 acres, divided into two ranches, with improvements and machinery
necessary to carry on a general farming business and stock raising. He devotes
a great deal of attention to sheep. He was married in 1848, in Pike Co., Ill.,
to Miss Matilda Brown, who remained at home when her husband came across the
plains, but joined him in 1853 at his home in Dry Town. They have had eleven
children, all of whom are now living, and he considers the locality in which he
lives the most healthy in California, there never having been any serious
sickness in his large family. We call attention to the view of his ranches.
U. J.
MUNSON came from “way down east in the State of Maine,”
where he was born in 1831. He engaged in farming there until 1850 when he
removed to Minnesota. He came to California in 1853, taking the Isthmus route.
He came direct from San Francisco to Stockton, from thence he went to the
Calaveras mines, where he remained a year. From there he journeyed to Tuolumne
Co., remaining there until 1857. He then purchased land in San Joaquin Co.,
upon which he settled. He is at present the owner of 175 acres of good sandy
loam, all but five of which are being cultivated. His chief grain is wheat,
although he raises some rye. He has some excellent farm stock. He erected in
1873, a fine eight room, hard finish house, at a cost of $1,800 (see view of
house and grounds,) and a good barn. In June 1877 he was united in marriage to
Cynthia M. Cookson, a widow lady with two children. They have had one child.
PERRY
YAPLE was born at Danby, N.Y., on the 9th day of
March, 1825. His father, Henry Yaple, was the second white child born in
Ithaca, N.Y. When Mr. Yaple arrived at manhood, he learned the blacksmith’s
trade, which he followed until he came to California. He arrived in San
Francisco, via Aspinwall, October 20, 1852, and proceeded directly to Stockton,
where he followed his trade for some time and afterwards engaged in milling in
the same city. He spent the winter of 1859-’60 in the East. In 1863 he disposed
of his milling interests, and adopted the life of a farmer. He was the first
man to improve the farm he now occupies, which at present contains 634 acres,
all of which he is now cultivating. The farm is well stocked and supplied with
machinery and everything essential to a well-conducted farm. The house in which
he now resides, was erected in the spring of 1863. (We give a view of his place
elsewhere.) He married in 1849, Miss Anne Eliza Knapp, of Danby, N.Y., who died
in 1851, leaving a son, who now resides at Ripon, Cal. In 1862 he was married
to Mrs. Martha M. Clark, of Pacheco, Contra Costa Co., Cal. They have had two
daughters, both of whom are now living.
Transcribed by Sharon Marie Robinson.
Source:
“History of San Joaquin County 1879” by Thompson & West. Pages 107-108.
© 2010 Sharon
Marie Robinson.
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