San
Joaquin County
Biographies
ANDREW EUGENE WAKEFIELD
Another successful vineyardist who
has attained an enviable place in the history of California agriculture is
Andrew Eugene Wakefield, who lives about one-fourth of a mile to the north of
Youngstown. He was born in Brownfield,
Maine, on December 26, 1853, the son of Henry and Lucy Ann Wakefield, whose
families both date back to Colonial days.
His father was a farmer in the timber country of Maine, and Andrew
attended the Brownfield School. He was
one of three children. His brother
William still lives in Maine; and Charles, who also came out to California,
lives to the north of Lockeford. When only seven years of age, Andrew lost his father who was killed
by a falling tree. His mother
remarried eleven years later, becoming the wife of Abner Wakefield.
Andrew Wakefield remained at home
until he was twenty-one, and then went to Boston and for a year worked for
wages on the farms. After that he
returned to the old home place and worked there again for a few years, and then
in 1880 he came out to California. Here
he first leased a quarter-section of land north of Lockeford, and in 1882
farmed at New Hope; but he was completely washed out by the great flood, after
which he returned to the vicinity of Lockeford.
In the fall of 1883 he went back again to Maine, and remained there for
eight years; and during that time, on July 12, 1885, he was married at Hiram to
Miss Madeleine Bennett, who was born in Boston, on February 26, 1861, the
daughter of John and Margaret Augusta Bennett.
Her father was a cabinet-maker, who had settled at Whitehall, New York,
where he died; then the family moved to Gorham, Maine, when she was about seven
years old, and there she grew up and was educated, attending the grammar and
high school. She was the only
child. Her father died at the age of
sixty years; but her mother lived to the age of seventy-four.
In 1890, Mr. Wakefield returned to
California and purchased a quarter-section of land three miles to the north of
Lockeford; but he lost this ranch after ten years. Then he went to the Black Land district on
the Islands, and leased 320 acres for eight years. After that he leased a half-section of land
near Clements, and farmed there for three years. Nine years ago he purchased the place where
he now resides. It consists of twenty
acres, one-half of which is in orchard and eight acres in vineyard, and is
improved with a fine home and farm buildings.
He has developed water, having an irrigation
well with a fifteen-horsepower motor and a five-inch pump. He himself set out the orchard of Elberta and
Lovell peaches. He also owns fifty acres
of vineyard near Elliott.
Two sons have been born to Mr. and
Mrs. Wakefield: Harry Alton, born on May
6, 1886, at Brownfield, Maine; and Walter Harmon, born at the same place on
January 20 two years later. The two sons
are farming at the Lyons place, north of Lockeford. Both are members of the Clements Lodge of Odd
Fellows. In their political affiliations
Mr. and Mrs. Wakefield are Republicans.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
1059-1060. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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