San
Joaquin County
Biographies
JOHN J. PEDRO
Linked with the development of the
city of Tracy and more particularly the West Side section of San Joaquin
County, John J. Pedro is an enterprising rancher owning an extensive alfalfa
ranch and Holstein dairy four miles west of Tracy on the Lincoln Highway. He was born on the Isle of Flores, Azores, on
June 26, 1890, a son of Joseph and Rosalia (Andrada) Pedro Cameria. An older brother, Anthony, preceded him to
California and became active in agricultural pursuits until his death at
Newman, California, in 1920.
Leaving his native land when he was
fifteen years old, John J. came to America and upon arrival in California was
glad to make this his permanent home; accordingly he applied for U. S.
citizenship and at Merced, California, in 1913 received his final papers in the
name of John J. Pedro, as he desired. He
began by working for wages near Gustine, California, and within two years had
saved about $800; later, in partnership with other men, he engaged in various
businesses and was unusually successful, and when he decided to located in San
Joaquin County in 1914, a choice piece of land was purchased and in partnership
with a brother this land was developed into one of the finest modern dairies in
the district, which was disposed of in 1920 for $60,000. The brothers had acquired a piece of raw land
from the Looney Bros. four miles west of Tracy, consisting of 200 acres, and
were among the very first farmers to grow alfalfa; modern barns and necessary
apparatus were constructed. The alfalfa
is yielding five crops each season and a herd of choice Holstein milk cows is
being built up, now numbering 165 head.
Fourteen years of hard work and practical experience in connection with
farming and dairying enables Mr. Pedro to take advantage of many things which
would be overlooked by the average farmer.
Mr. Pedro’s marriage in 1909 united
him with Miss Julia Catherine Pedroza, a native
daughter of California born at Salinas, Monterey County, in 1890, a daughter of
Joseph and Mary Julia (Bettencourt) Pedroza, both
natives of the Azores and now residents of San Jose, California, engaged in
horticulture. Mr. and Mrs. Pedro are the
parents of three children: Alfred,
Evelyn and Walter, all pupils in the Lammersville district school. Mr. Pedro is a member of the board of
directors of the Tracy Branch of the Bank of Italy. During the World War he organized the work of
the war drives and Liberty loans for the West Side territory and solicited the
Portuguese settlers with splendid results in each case. Mr. Pedro is a member of the S. E. S. of
Tracy. During 1918, Mr. Pedro made a
visit of his homeland and birthplace, spending six months going and coming,
bringing back with him his father, mother, two younger brothers and a
niece. Mr. Pedro is a big booster for
Tracy, and has given of his time and money to aid the cause of irrigation.
Transcribed by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
1403. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2012 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
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