Yolo County
Biographies
RICHARD C. CASSEL
The pioneers of the Sacramento
valley laid the foundation of its agricultural development and their sons now
are promoting the work they commenced with such commendable energy and constant
self-sacrifice. Representative of an influential pioneer family of the valley
is Richard C. Cassel, who makes his home three and one-half miles northwest of Davisville and in partnership with a brother operates about
fourteen hundred acres of grain land in Yolo county. Thus far in life he has
always made his home in this county, with whose agricultural interests he has
been familiar as boy and man. Possessing energy of disposition, enthusiasm of
temperament, promptness in action and firmness of will, he is qualified by natural
gifts no less than by training for the many responsibilities he has assumed in
the management of a large area of grain land.
A few years after the discovery of
gold in California William F. Cassel, a Virginian by birth and through his
mother a descendant of German ancestry, sought a home and livelihood in the
then unknown regions lying beyond the mountains and the desert. Prior to that
time he had made his home in Illinois, whither his parents had removed during
his childhood, and at the time he started across the plains he was a young man
of nineteen years, robust in health and well fitted to endure the hardships of
frontier existence. Following the precedent established by other pioneers, he
went to the mines in search of gold, where he met the lack of success that fell
to the lot of most of his co-workers. After a brief and disappointing
experience as a miner, he turned to other means of livelihood, and settled in
Sonoma county, where gradually he acquired
considerable ranch property. For many years he operated a threshing machine in
that county and during that time frequently brought it over into the vicinity
of the Sacramento river, where he took contract for
the threshing of large tracts of grains.
During 1875 Mr. Cassel became a
resident of Yolo county, where at first he bought one
hundred and sixty acres and gradually added to the same until his landed
possessions aggregated four hundred and eighty acres. Meanwhile he continued to
operate the threshing machine in season and had a successful experience in the
work until 1893, when the explosion of his engine caused him to abandon the
business permanently. After that he gave his attention wholly to the management
of his ranch and continued active and robust until six months before his death.
That event occurred March 19, 1902, when he was seventy years of age. As a
citizen his influence was of value to his community. Strong in his support of
the right, and relentless in his opposition to the wrong, he gave to his county
a citizenship of the highest type. Temperance principles received his earnest
support. Politically he gave his influence to the Prohibition party, and at one time consented to become his party’s
candidate for the office of sheriff, doing this as a matter of principle and
without any expectation of success. In fraternal relations he was identified
with Masonry, his membership being in the blue lodge (sic) at Woodland. After
settling in California he met and married Miss Sarah Ann Weeks, who was born in
England and came to the United States in early childhood. At this writing she
makes her home with a daughter in San Francisco.
On the ranch which he now operates
and which is the property of his mother, Richard C. Cassel was born November
28, 1878, being the youngest child in the family of William F. Cassel. While
still a mere boy he began to help on the ranch and all the time not spent in
school was passed quietly and uneventfully on the home place. After leaving
school he gave his entire time to assisting in the management of the property
and thus was qualified for the responsibility of assuming its control, in
partnership with his brother, William, the two not only cultivating the
homestead, but also managing a tract of six hundred acres west of Woodland. His
attention has been given so closely to personal matters that, as yet, he has
taken no part in politics aside from voting the Democratic ticket. The lady
whom he married and who resides over his home is, like himself, a native of
Yolo county and has passed her life thus far within
its limits. In maidenhood she bore the name of Matilda Sieferman
and by descent she comes from German ancestry. The two children of their union
are named Mildred Belle and Calvin Curtis.
Transcribed By: Cecelia M. Setty.
Source: "History of the State of
California and Biographical Record of the Sacramento
Valley, Cal.," J. M. Guinn, Pages
508-509.
The Chapman Publishing Company, Chicago, 1906.
© 2017 Cecelia M. Setty.
Golden Nugget Library's Yolo County
Biographies