San Joaquin County
Biographies
CUTLER SALMON
CUTLER SALMON a farmer of
Castoria Township, was born in New York in 1809. His father, John Salmon, was a
native of New Jersey, and of German descent; and his mother’s maiden name was
Sarah Skellinger. The family moved to Ohio in 1814, locating in Coshocton
County. John Salmon died in Indiana, where he first moved. In 1825 the subject
of this sketch went to Kentucky, and two years later to New Orleans, and in
1828 to Wisconsin, which State he left in April, 1853, for California, being
six months on the journey. Mr. Salmon did all the cooking for the party on the
way, except three meals. The trip was very enjoyable; their route was by Fort
Laramie, Fort Bridger and Salt Lake. Mr. Salmon located on the place which he
still occupies. It now consists of 1,006 acres. The celebrated gas well, 1,250
feet deep, which Mr. Salmon has been using for all domestic purposes, was
discovered in 1883, while boring for water. It was on the 17th day
of August, that year, that he took the augers out of the well, and the flowing of
gas created great excitement in the neighborhood, as it was the first in the
State to be utilized for domestic purposes, and it created a great gas boom in
the San Joaquin valley. At a depth of 280 feet the augers passed through a mass
of drift-wood; the bark was identified as that of redwood.
Mr. Salmon married Miss Jane Reynolds, who
was born in Nicholas County, Kentucky, and a daughter of Richard, a native of
South Carolina, who emigrated to Grant County, Wisconsin. Mr. and Mrs. Salmon
have ten children, of whom only four are now living, viz: Glendora P., James,
Mary and Elizabeth.
Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
An Illustrated History of San Joaquin County,
California, Page 579. 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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