Stanislaus
County
Biographies
THOMAS WHEELER
Thomas Wheeler, now deceased,
belonged to that sturdy band of pioneers who conquered the wild conditions of
California that existed in the middle of the century, and thus aided in laying
a foundation for the present prosperity and advancement of the
commonwealth. He came to the Golden
state in 1850 from Saline County, Missouri, which was the state of his birth,
his natal day being October 16, 1827.
The family is of Welsh lineage, and the paternal grandfather of our
subject was one of the early settlers of Kentucky, while Samuel Wheeler, the
father of our subject, was born, reared and educated in that state; and Mrs.
Wheeler, the mother of our subject, was born and reared in Tennessee.
After the discovery of gold on the
Pacific slope he crossed the plains with ox teams, joining a company that was
six months in making the journey. They
met with no misfortunes on the way, escaping the Indians and the epidemics
which decimated so many of the emigrant trains, arriving safely in San
Francisco in October, 1850. It was his
intention to engage in mining, but he saw his opportunity to enter another line
of industry, for the large number of mining men created a demand for food supplies
that made the production of any articles of food a profitable source of
income. Mr. Wheeler engaged in raising
cattle, with headquarters in San Joaquin County. In this enterprise he met with
prosperity. In the early days he
received very high prices for his cattle and there was always a good market for
his stock, for he raised high grades and retained his patronage through
honorable and correct business principles.
He became possessed of a fine ranch of seven thousand acres, which he
left to his family. It is located in
Stanislaus County and is a very valuable property. In 1861 he sold his cattle and turned his
attention to the raising of sheep, continuing successful in that business up to
the time of his death, having upon his ranch from five to ten thousand
sheep. He was thoroughly conversant with
the best methods of conducting such an industry and his sound judgment and
careful management in business affairs brought to him an excellent financial
return.
In his political views Mr. Wheeler
was a Democrat and socially he was identified with the Masonic fraternity. His home life was a pleasant one and was
instituted on the 29th of February, 1860, when there was celebrated
his marriage to Miss Louvicia Thompson, a native of
Virginia. She was a daughter of John and
Mary (Williams) Thompson, both natives of Virginia. By hear marriage she became the mother of
seven children, six of whom are yet living, namely: Josephine, the wife of J. P. Churchill, of
Yreka, California; Samuel Henry, a large stock raiser living in Reno, Nevada;
May Visa, the wife of J. W. Churchill, also a resident of Yreka; Rees Thompson
resides on the home farm; and the eldest daughter, Mary Ella, is living at
home; Maggie Lee died March 5, 1895, and
John Thomas, an attorney, living at Winnemucca, Nevada. Mr. Wheeler was a man of the highest probity
of character, his name being synonymous with all honorable dealing. He was most energetic and enterprising and
through the exercise of those qualities he gained a place among the substantial
citizens of Stanislaus County. His death
occurred on the 17th of October, 1899, when he was seventy-two years
of age, and he left to his family not only a valuable estate but also the
priceless heritage of an untarnished name.
His widow still resides on the ranch with her son Rees, and they are
together managing the place. He
completed his literary education in the high school of Oakland, where the
family resided for a number of years, while his business training was received
in Heald’s Business College in San Francisco, in
which he was graduated in 1891. He is a
member of the Masonic fraternity and is identified with the Benevolent Order of
Elks. In his native county he is highly
esteemed in social and business circles, being true and faithful to every duty
in every relation of life. Thoroughly
reliable in all his dealings, he possesses the high regard and confidence of
all with whom he has come in contact.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
“A Volume of Memoirs and Genealogy of Representative Citizens of Northern
California”, Pages 558-559. Chicago Standard Genealogical Publishing Co. 1901.
© 2010
Gerald Iaquinta.