BIOGRAPHICAL AND DESCRIPITIVE
MATTER PERTAINING
TO OUR ILLUSTRATIONS FROM
UNION TOWNSHIP.
1879
JACOB
BRACK is a native of Switzerland, and arrived in
California in 1850. Mrs. Brack was born
in Germany and came to this State in 1852.
They have had eight children all of whom are still living. In 1875 Mr. Brack purchased 10,000 acres of
land, but since then has sold portions of it to various parties, so that his
ranch at present contains about 7,000 acres.
This land was first taken up by Samuel Fisher, in about the year
1856. Mr. Brack cultivates about 2,000
acres, which he devotes mainly to wheat.
The remaining 5,000 acres are tule land, which when reclaimed, as it all
will be in time, will make the finest possible soil for raising wheat. The house, (as seen in the accompanying
view,) was built in 1873. The ranch is
well stocked with cattle, and furnished with buildings, machinery, etc., for
successful and profitable farming. It is
situated in Union Township.
EDWARD
P. GAYETTY was born in Grant Co., Wis., September 16,
1851. When he was four years of age he
came with his mother across the plains to join his father, P.C. Gayetty, who
had preceded them, in 1849, and who now lives in Sacramento Co. He came to Benson’s Ferry, in Union Township
January 21, 1873, and has since made it his residence. Mr. Benson died in 1876 and Mr. Gayetty is
now the proprietor of the well-known ferry.
In addition to the ferry he owns 220 acres of land and is largely
interested in general farming and stock-raising, which latter he has made a
very successful business, also wheat-raising.
In 1877 he married the youngest daughter of Mrs. Edna Benson, and has
three children.
GEORGE
HAUSKEN is a native of Norway, where he was born December
14, 1838. He came here at the age of
twenty-two years, and for many years was Captain and owner of the schooner
“Reliance” which plied on the Sacramento river, and was also engaged in the
Oregon lumber trade. In 1866 he engaged
in the business of selling goods at Union.
In 1873 he purchased 380 acres of land in Union Township, and has been
working it ever since. He has his farm
well stocked with cattle and horses, supplied with machinery and farming
implements, and all the requisites of a well-conducted farm. He is chiefly interested in raising wheat, of
which cereal his farm has a large yield yearly, he also raises a quantity of
other grain. He was married in San
Francisco, in 1865, to Miss Katy Linc.
They have six children, all living.
A view of his farm is given elsewhere.
ARTHUR
THORNTON of the firm of A. Borland, New Hope, was born in
Ayrshire, Scotland, May 19, 1838, and came to America in 1852, settling at
Keokuk, Iowa. In 1854 he came across the
plains to California. He was first
employed by the United States Government to carry horses to Fort Lane, Oregon,
for the use of the cavalry. In 1855, he
settled at New Hope in San Joaquin Co.
He established in 1876 a general dry goods store under the firm name of
A. Borland. He also carries on a general
farming and blacksmithing business. He
has been engaged for the past thirteen years in a law-suit with John Thompson,
concerning the title to some swamp land on Section 3, Town 4, North of Range 5
East, in Union Township. He was married
in 1878 to Emma Graves, and has five children, all girls. A view of his residence and the store of A.
Borland, is given on another page.
ALEXANDER
BORLAND, of the above firm, was born in Ayrshire, Scotland,
in 1834, and came from there direct to California in 1853. In addition to his business in New Hope he
owns eighty acres of good farming land, which he cultivates with success. Mr. Borland is unmarried.
Transcribed by
Susan Vomocil.
Source: “History of San
Joaquin County 1879” by Thompson & West.
Page 135.
©
2012 Susan Vomocil.
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