San
Joaquin County
Biographies
IRA W. LADD
Passing away in
his seventy-ninth year, Ira W.
Ladd left behind him a record of success and great worth and esteem
among all with whom he had had relations of a business or personal character,
and it is safe to say that few of the California pioneers passed their careers
in greater usefulness to home and community than did Mr. Ladd. He came to California seventy years ago, when
a lad of about fifteen years, but sturdy and independent and from the first
showed his ability to paddle his own canoe.
He came to California with his brother, the late George S. Ladd, in
1852, coming via Panama from Vermont, his native home and the abode of his
ancestors for some generations back. His
father, Seneca Ladd, had come from Vermont to California in 1850, but had
returned to old home state in the same year that his sons ventured out to seek
their fortunes in the golden west.
Seneca Ladd remained in Vermont until his death in 1868. His wife was Parmelia Esterbrook, and they
were both natives of the Green Mountain state.
Ira W. Ladd was born in Caledonia
County, Vermont, February 26, 1837. He
was deprived of his mother’s tender care when he was nine years old, and all
conditions worked together to push him out of the home nest at an early age,
thus he became very self reliant. He
lived in his native state receiving a good education and when he was fifteen
years old, he joined his brother on the ever memorable voyage to the western
coast. For several years after arriving
in this state he was engaged in various lines of employment. In 1856 he came to Stockton, and for some
years thereafter was engaged principally in freighting from that point to the
southern mines. During the ‘70s he
located on the ranch now owned by his daughter, Lillie I. Ladd, where with the
exception of a few years spent in Stockton he resided and centered his activity
until his death in 1916. The home ranch
comprises 368 acres of land under an excellent state of cultivation, and he
also owned 800 acres in Solano County as well as land in Fresno and Merced
counties.
He was married on March 7, 1858, to
Miss Emily J. Southerland of Stockton, a daughter of Jacob Southerland,
deceased, a well-known pioneer of San Joaquin County. Mrs. Ladd accompanied her parents across the
plains to California in 1852, coming by the old southern route. Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs.
Ladd: Lillie I. is now the owner of the
Ladd homestead near Stockton; Addie. A., Mrs. W. C. Salmon, deceased, survived
by two sons, Ira T. residing at Coalinga, and William L. who is manager on the
Ladd homestead, having made his home with his aunt, Miss Lillie Ladd, since his
mother’s death when he was three years of age; Fred G. is married and has two
children and they reside at Coalinga; Emily J., Mrs. Walter Vincent, has three
children and they reside in Stockton; Ira G. is deceased. Mrs. Ladd passed away on May 21, 1908, at the
age of sixty-seven, while Mr. Ladd survived her until he was seventy-nine years
old, passing away on March 8, 1916, at his beautiful ranch home southeast of
Stockton. Mr. Ladd served as a trustee
of the neighboring Weber School District for many years, and always took an
active part in the educational affairs of his locality. He was a Republican in politics and
fraternally was affiliated with Stockton Lodge No. 11, I. O. O. F., and was
well known through his section of the state.
He was a member of the San Joaquin Society of California Pioneers and
Mrs. Ladd was one of the charter members of the auxiliary of the same
society. Since her father’s death Miss
Lillie I. Ladd has successfully handled the extensive interests left by her
beloved parent and is worthily perpetuating the Ladd name in the locality where
he was so long an honored citizen. She
has a fully equipped wireless station at her residence on the homestead,
demonstrating that she is far ahead of many in seeing the value of modern
science in business as well as pleasure.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
643. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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