Stanislaus
County
Biographies
WILLIS BLEDSOE
The American family of Bledsoe is of
French extraction and has long been prominent in Virginia, where Willis
Bledsoe, Sr., the father of the subject of this sketch, was born in 1797. Early in life he settled in Kentucky, where
he married Miss Jane McDonald, a member of an early and prominent pioneer
family of that state. Their son Willis
was born in Kentucky March 22, 1841, and three other sons and a daughter were
born to them in that state. In 1846 Mr.
Bledsoe removed with his family to Missouri, where he bought a farm and became
a successful, well-to-do and highly respected citizen. Originally of the Baptist faith, Mr. Bledsoe
later became a Universalist. He died in
1870, have attained the ripe old age of seventy-four years. Their children are all living and Willis
Bledsoe is the only one of them in California.
The subject of this sketch was
educated in public schools in Missouri and at the end of April, 1862, when he had
just passed his twenty-first birthday, he set out for California overland with
Dr. Glenn, assisting the latter to bring out one hundred and forty-six head of
mules, and they arrived at Sacramento July 6, following. They were enabled to make this journey in
such a short time because Dr. Glenn had previous crossed the plains seven times
and therefore knew all the camping places at which water could be obtained for
the mules. Mr. Bledsoe secured his first
position in California in a garden, at twenty-five dollars a month. From there he went to Shaw’s Flat, Tuolumne
County, but remained only a week, going from there to San Joaquin County, where
he had a letter of introduction to J. W. Jones, on whose farm he worked for
five years, beginning at thirty dollars a month and receiving additions to his
salary until he was paid six hundred dollars a year and his board. During the succeeding six years he and Mr.
Jones were partners in the sheep business, owning at times as many as fifteen
thousand sheep. Disposing of this
interest, they engaged in farming on a large tract of land which they had
acquired, Mr. Jones owning twenty-one thousand acres and Mr. Bledsoe one
thousand, two hundred and eighty acres.
Since then Mr. Bledsoe has acquired three thousand and two hundred acres
more, making an aggregate of fourth thousand and four hundred and eighty acres,
which he has farmed successfully, harvesting in one year twenty thousand sacks
of wheat, which he sold at one dollar and sixty cents a hundred pounds. Of course that was an exceptional yield and
an exceptional price, but he has been continuously successful and is regarded
as one of the successful men of the county.
He is a Freemason and a Democrat,
and as a citizen is widely known and popular.
In 1885 he built one of the most delightful residences in the city of
Modesto, which is surrounded by beautiful grounds that he himself planted and
improved and is an eloquent witness to his good taste and refinement.
In 1870 Mr. Bledsoe married Miss
Edna M. Jones, a daughter of his former partner, J. W. Jones, who was a
California pioneer in 1852 and arrived there a poor man with only such effects
as were hauled by one horse and bringing no other stock except a cow. His family consisted of his mother, his wife
and four children. The present Mrs.
Bledsoe was then only three months old.
Mrs. Jones was taken sick while crossing the plains and died of cholera
on the Platte River. The history of Mr.
Jones’ business success is well known in California, where by the most admirable
methods he rose from comparative poverty to
affluence. Mrs. and Mrs. Bledsoe have
had three children. Effie A. is the wife
of M. E. Leek, of Modesto, who is the official reporter of the courts of
Stanislaus County. Walter G. is a farmer
living in Merced County. Alfred L. is a
student at the University of California at Berkeley. Mr. and Mrs. Bledsoe are members of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, in which Mr. Bledsoe is holding the office of
trustee.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
“A Volume of Memoirs and Genealogy of Representative Citizens of Northern
California”, Pages 590-591. Chicago Standard Genealogical Publishing Co. 1901.
© 2010
Gerald Iaquinta.