San Joaquin County
Biographies
WILLIAM FREEMAN PRATHER
WILLIAM FREEMAN PRATHER, a
rancher of Douglass Township, was born in Randolph County, Missouri, March 25,
1825, a son of Thomas J. and Rebecca (Helman) Prather, both natives of
Kentucky, but married in Missouri, whither the families of both had moved.
James and Hannah (Turner) Prather, the grandparents of our subject, were among
the first settlers of that State, arriving as early as 1819, and both lived to
be about 100 years. Great-grandfather Prather was a Scotch emigrant, who came
to this country before the Revolution. The father of W. F. Prather was a
carpenter by trade and became owner of a farm. He died comparatively young, at
the age of fifty, owing probably to an injury received some years before. The
mother died in Linden, this township, June 10, 1873, aged sixty-five.
The subject of this sketch was brought up
on his father’s farm and also learned his father’s trade, receiving in youth a
fair education, taking into consideration the time and place. In time he became
the owner of a farm of 220 acres. He was married, February 8, 1849, in
Huntsville, Missouri, to Miss Marilda Sanford, born in Howard County, Missouri,
February 15, 1827, daughter of Dozier and Hannah (Barnes) Sanford, both natives
of Kentucky. Both families are understood to have been American for several
generations. Mrs. Sanford died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Prather, July
4, 1883, aged eighty-nine. J. D. Sanford died April 20, 1835, in Missouri.
Mr. Prather came to California in 1853,
leaving Missouri April 22 of that year. He now owns 320 acres of bottom land,
yielding seventy-five bushels of barley to the acre; 360 acres of wheat land
and a sheep range of 4,000 acres near Bellota. He keeps usually a flock of
about 6,000 head, and owns about 1,500 acres in Tuolumne County for their
pasturage in summer, besides the free range of some Government land. He also
raises horses, mules and cattle for the market. He was engaged largely in
cattle raising until the flood of 1862, by which he lost 1,000 head.
Mr. Prather built a new and beautiful home
in 1882 at a cost of $6,000, on a small knoll, forming an unusually attractive
site for so handsome a structure. Adjoining is a small orchard of various
fruit-trees, including a dozen English walnuts, for home use--the whole forming
a picture of an ideal home. Mr. and Mrs. Prather are the parents of six children,
viz: Cyrus S., born December 9, 1849, in Randolph County, Missouri, died
unmarried, in San Francisco, December 19, 1885; Frances, born in Randolph
County, Missouri, April 1, 1853, now Mrs. Joseph Potter, resides with her
family one mile east of Linden; Thomas F., born in San Joaquin County,
California, September 14, 1855, educated at Santa Rosa College, and now
residing with his parents; John D., born in San Joaquin County, December 18,
1863, graduated at the same college after a full course, also residing at home;
Medora V., born in 1859, spent two years in the same institution; Reba, born in
1870, is attending school at Linden.
Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
An Illustrated History of San Joaquin County,
California, Pages 252-253. Lewis Pub.
Co. Chicago, Illinois 1890.
© 2008 Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
Golden Nugget Library's San Joaquin County
Biographies
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