San
Joaquin County
Biographies
JOHN J. NOWAK
A rancher whose thorough
understanding of the agricultural conditions in California has enabled him to
attain substantial success is John J. Nowak, of Dry Creek, about three and
one-half miles northwest of Elliott school.
He was born near Galt on January 14, 1889, a son of Adam and Katherine
Nowak, his father having come to California when about twenty-one years
old. Adam Nowak grew up a farmer, and
reared a family of five children: Stanislaus;
Anna became Mrs. Joseph Steiner; John J. is the subject of our review; Frank,
born October 5, 1890, is the next youngest; Clara is now Mrs. Albert Schmidt.
The children attended school in the
Alabama district, in Sacramento County, enjoying home-life for awhile in that
section, the recipient of all the affection bestowable by parents who are still
living and are honored residents of Lodi.
After awhile, the father removed from the Alabama district to San
Joaquin County, where he bought a ranch of 220 acres on Dry Creek, northwest of
Elliott. This is the ranch which our
subject is today operating, leasing it from his father; and there he has
fourteen acres of Zinfandel grapes, while the balance is in alfalfa and pasture
and grain land. His father had improved
this ranch with all necessary farm buildings, all of which proved a great
advantage. John Nowak has a small dairy
of ten cows, and is assisted by his brother Frank who is working for him.
Besides having something worthwhile
to show for his farm enterprises, Mr. Nowak has a military record of which he
may well be proud. On April 28, 1918, he
entered the U. S. service in the World War as a member of Company C, 316th
Ammunition train, 91st Division, trained for two months at Camp
Lewis, and was then sent across to France, where he went through all the drives
in which the 91st Division participated. He served as a truck driver, and experienced
several narrow escapes. He returned to
America safely with his regiment, and on May 13, 1919, was honorably discharged
at the San Francisco Presidio. Reaching
home he took up the problems of the ranch, and with increasing success, he has
been solving them ever since.
Transcribed by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
1481-1482. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2012 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
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