San Joaquin County
Biographies
ALEXANDER MAYBERRY
ALEXANDER MAYBERRY was born
in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, January 3, 1830, son of William and Martha
(Laughlin) Mayberry. The former is of French descent, and was born and raised
in the State of Pennsylvania, and the latter was a native of Ireland. Alexander
was the next to the youngest in a family of thirteen children, and is the only
one residing in this State. His boyhood’s days were spent in a new country,
where the land was covered with timber, underbrush and stones, which had to be
cleared off. From the time he was able he had to pick stones and cut brush. He
was able to go to school three months out of twelve, of which he got on the
average one month out of three. He continued this mode of life until he was
eighteen. He worked for wages up to 1852, the highest he ever received being
$13 a month, and it took a good man to get that much.
March 1, 1853, he was married to Eliza
Canon, a native of the same county in Pennsylvania. On the 30th day
of the same month they went to Jackson County, Iowa, arriving there April 16,
where he farmed for eight years. May 1, 1861, he left there for California,
making the journey across the plains with ox teams, reaching Sacramento river
September 27, after a trip of five months. He worked in Chico twenty-eight
days, and from there came to San Joaquin County, landing here on November 13,
same year. He worked by the month for $35 a month the first year, his wife
working in the same family for her and her children’s board. In the winter of
1862-’63 he rented a piece of land, the same place where he had worked by the
month, situated on the Mariposa road, seven miles southeast of Stockton, where
he continued till the winter of 1865-’66, when he purchased the place for
$2,500, going in debt for it. He finished paying for it in the summer of 1872.
He then bought another quarter-section by for $8,000, making a payment of $500
on it. He farmed it up to 1881, when he sold it for $17,000. He then came to
the northern part of the county and purchased the place where he now resides, consisting
of 160 acres, for which he paid $6,400. It has since been well improved by Mr.
Mayberry.
Politically he is a Republican; his first
Presidential vote was cast for a Whig candidate, then the Republican came into
power, and he has been a good supporter of it ever since. In 1886 he was the
Republican nominee for the position on the Board of County Supervisors, was
elected, and has held the office ever since. His judgment has been felt in more
ways than one, to the interests of the community.
His family consists of three children,
namely: Willy W., Prairie J. and John S., all residing in this county.
Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
An Illustrated History of San Joaquin County,
California, Pages 586-587. Lewis Pub.
Co. Chicago, Illinois 1890.
© 2009 Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
Golden Nugget Library's San Joaquin County
Biographies
Golden Nugget Library's San Joaquin County
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