San
Joaquin County
Biographies
ELDRIDGE L. REYNOLDS
Among the old settlers of San
Joaquin County Eldridge L. Reynolds ranks well to the fore, for he arrived with
his parents in 1854, and almost continuously since that time has employed his
energies in farming and stockraising near Manteca. He has been successful, and as a citizen he
ranks very high in the county. He was
born in Grant County, Wisconsin, December 2, 1844, the youngest son of James
and Martha (Ramsey) Reynolds, natives of Kentucky, who crossed the plains to
California in 1853 and in the fall of 1854, settled in San Joaquin County. The father, James Reynolds, paid $1.25 per
acre for his ranch. He located on what
is known as Sand Plains near the present location of the East Union Church and
cemetery two miles northwest of Manteca.
The first house built by James Reynolds was made of shakes, cut by hand,
near Placerville, and were hauled by team to the ranch. Four sons are now living: David R., whose sketch will be found in this
history; Eldridge L., our subject, and Edward are twins; and James A. resides
at Capitola. Both parents are deceased,
the mother reaching the advanced age of ninety-five years.
Eldridge L. Reynolds received his
education in the district school near his home and his teachers were ex-senator
Samuel Meyer and Judge Woodard. At the
time of his father’s death he received 240 acres as his share of the estate and
for forty-two years he farmed and improved the property, his principal crops
being grain, which yielded from thirty-five to forty bushels to the acre in
early days. On his ranch he erected a
$2,500 residence and $1,100 barn; he also planted orange trees and a vineyard
of table grapes. He became well known
for his high grade Holstein cattle and for his fine draft horses of the
Clydesdale breed, and mules. Mr. Reynolds
and his twin brother ran a threshing outfit in the valley for a number of years
and became well acquainted in the county, and they also farmed together 1,000
acres of grain land on the west side, which produced in one year 10,500 sacks
of wheat.
The marriage of Mr. Reynolds
occurred on September 9, 1869, and united him with Miss Annie Campbell, a
native of Wisconsin, one of his schoolmates in that state, and his twin
brother, Edward, married her sister. She
and her sister came via Panama, stopping first in Nevada and a year later
coming to San Joaquin County. She passed
away March 25, 1911, an active member of the Brethren Church. As a youth Mr. Reynolds shot antelope and elk
on the plains and grizzly bears were often seen in the mountains. Having sold his ranch in 1908, he is now
living retired at his home, 920 South California Street, Stockton, enjoying the
fruits of a life spent in useful and honorable toil and he has a very large
circle of friends in this portion of California. In the earlier days he was an active member
of the Grange in the East Union District.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
451. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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