BIOGRAPHICAL AND DESCRIPITIVE
MATTER PERTAINING
TO OUR ILLUSTRATIONS FROM
LIBERTY TOWNSHIP.
1879
J.
C. FUQUA, of Liberty Township, was born in Ralls County,
Missouri, in 1837. When
he was sixteen years of age the family immigrated to California, making the
journey across the plains. He
mined six years at Diamond Springs, with but moderate success. In 1859 they came to this County, since
which time he has led the life of a farmer.
In 1861 he purchased the ranch he now occupies, and erected in 1878, at
a cost of $2,500, the house which now stands there (see view of house and
ranch). He also built a windmill and
tank, with a capacity of 1,500 gallons, costing $560. The house is one and one-half story, hard
finish frame-dwelling, containing six rooms; situated four and one-half miles
from Lodi and Woodbridge, two and one-half miles from Acampo Station, on the
C.P. R.R., and seventeen miles from Stockton.
The farm contains 160 acres, all under cultivation, and is of a sandy
loam. He raises wheat exclusively, and
has a fine orchard adjoining the house.
On the farm are a quantity of white and live
oak trees. His farm is well stocked with
the necessary cattle. He was married to
his first wife in 1861. In 1873 he was
married to Miss V.F. Stafford, in Ralls County, Mo. They have a bright little girl two years of
age.
PETER
JAHANT left France, the land of his nativity, and came to
America in 1828. In 1850 he immigrated
into this State, when he has since resided.
In 1871 he purchased the farm on which he now resides. The farm was located in 1850 by Mr.
Gill. Mr. Jahant
owns three farms in Liberty Township, each containing 160 acres. His land is all under cultivation, and is
well supplied with farming implements. A
view of his home-farm, with the buildings, etc., will be found on another page
of this work. Mrs. Jahant
was born in Ireland, and came to America at an early age. They have had five children, who are still
living.
VICTOR
JAHANT was born in Ohio, and came to California in
1852. Mrs. Jahant
is a native of England. They have had
seven children, all of whom are now alive.
His ranch contains 640 acres, and was first located by Charles Grassard and Peter Jahant in
1853. It came into the possession of the
present owner in 1854, and is situated in Liberty Township. The farm is under a good state of
cultivation, being well stocked and supplied with proper machinery. Wheat is the staple product. In 1877 he erected a large house, at a cost
of $3,000. The house, buildings and farm
are shown in the accompanying view.
HAMILTON
J. KEEN, a resident of Liberty Township, was born at
Eastport, Me., December 18, 1825. Moved
to Boston in 1842, and remained until 1849, when he started for California,
going around Cape Horn, consuming five months and eleven days in the passage,
meeting with a great deal of heavy weather, and being blown south of the
Falkland Islands, finally landed in San Francisco, October 11, 1849. He worked there five months at carpentering,
receiving $12 per day. From here he went
to Sacramento, where they were paying $14. In 1850 he went to the Placer County mines,
where he met with fair success for a year, and then went into the mountains and
mined four years. In the spring of 1855
he went to Oroville, Butte County, and was quite successful. He married Martha A. Ware in Oroville,
February 16, 1858. He located on his
present homestead in 1859. It contains
160 acres, well improved, stocked, and furnished with machinery and everything
required for farming. (A view of his
place is given elsewhere.) He has since by
purchases increased his farm to 410 acres.
He devotes his time to general farming and stock raising. His land is situated sixteen miles from
Stockton, one and a half mile from Lodi and Woodbridge, and one mile from
Acampo Station.
JUSTUS
SCHOMP was born in Wooster, Wayne County, Ohio, March 24, 1835. He
moved into Indiana, in the neighborhood of Fort Wayne, in 1850. In 1855 he made the trip across the plains, and
settled in Placerville, Eldorado County, where he worked at mining about six
months, and afterwards for two years in a sawmill. In 1858 he went into the business of
freighting goods between Sacramento and Placerville, at which occupation he
continued, until he purchased his present property in Liberty Township in
1866. He has 320 acres of good,
well-improved land, and is doing a thorough farming business. He was married February 5, 1861, to Harriet
J. Knight, at Diamond Springs, Eldorado County.
They have four children now living.
Although Mr. Schomp has always been a staunch
Republican, he was elected in 1878 to the Constitutional Convention on the
Non-partisan ticket. Mr. Schomp takes great pride in wheat raising,
and has taken a prominent part in the Grange movement in this vicinity. Mr. Schomp’s house
and grounds are shown on another page.
A.
J. WOODS is a native of Missouri, and came to California
while still quite young. In 1869 he
purchased his farm in Liberty Township, on which he has since resided. The farm contains 157˝ acres, and was first located by John
Piper, about 1860. The farm is at
present all under cultivation, and, like most of the land in this vicinity, is
chiefly devoted to the raising of wheat.
He has a fine stock of cattle, and all necessary machinery for
successful farming. His elegant house
(shown on another page, with a view of his farm) was erected in 1878, costing
$3,000. Mrs. Wood was born in
Indiana. They have had two children,
both of whom are still living.
Transcribed by
Susan Vomocil.
Source: “History of San
Joaquin County 1879” by Thompson & West.
Page 128.
©
2012 Susan Vomocil.
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