Yolo County
Biographies
ERASTUS SYLVESTER FARNHAM
Some members of the Farnham family have borne good war records since the
war of 1812, in which struggle the paternal grandfather, Benjamin Farnham, was
a soldier; his honorable life was terminated in Van Buren county, Mich. Daniel
Farnham, father of E. S., was a native of New York state, where he spent his
boyhood; and in young manhood engaged in farming in Michigan. In 1850 he made
his first trip across the plains with ox-teams to California, bringing with him
his eldest son, Horace, and Theodore Dopking, now of
Woodland. He spent three years mining, at the end of which time he returned to
Michigan, via Panama, where he owned a farm. Five years later he rented his
farm and with his son Daniel, Jr., again crossed the plains to this state,
becoming captain of the train enroute, and engaged in mining until 1865, when
he retired from active life, and died when eighty-six years of age. He was a
member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and in politics supported the
Republican platform. His wife, who was formerly Naomi Rice, was born in the
state of Ohio, and died in Yolo county at the age of
eighty-three years. They had five children: Mary, who became the wife of W.
Wilkinson and died in Michigan; Amanda, who became the wife of S. Lee, and
resides in Michigan; Daniel Jr.; E. S. and Caroline. By a former marriage, to a
Miss Myers, two children were born: Horace and Catherine.
Erastus Sylvester Farnham was born in Cass county,
Mich., November 1, 1844, spending his childhood and young manhood on his
father’s farm, and receiving a limited education in the public schools of his
native county. When the first call came for volunteers in 1861 he offered himself for service and was accepted, entering Company K,
Twelfth Michigan Volunteer Infantry. He was mustered in at Niles and sent with
his company to the south. Among the battles in which he participated were Pittsburg Landing or Shiloh, Little Rock and numerous
skirmishes. Being honorably discharged from the army after three years’ service
he returned home in 1865 and operated the home farm for one year, then sold it,
and with his mother and sister, Caroline, now Mrs. Thomas Beckett, came to
California via the Nicaragua route, reaching this state in the spring of 1866.
On March 1st of that year he came to Yolo county,
where he purchased eighty acres of land two and a half miles southeast of
Woodland. This land was part of a ranch that had been purchased by his father
and his brother, Daniel. Mr. Farnham improved the place by erecting a residence
and out-buildings upon it, and engaged in general farming. He was among the
first of the farmers in this locality to raise alfalfa. In 1871 he put ten
acres of this land in alfalfa and started a dairy business, which has since
continued to grow in size and importance. He was one of the organizers and is
now a director in the Woodland Co-Operative Creamery Company. Besides his home
place he also owns one hundred and seventy-eight acres of land on Cache creek,
seven miles northwest of Woodland, the greater portion of which is under
irrigation, seventy acres being in alfalfa. He has a farm of six hundred and
forty acres of land west of Orland, in Glenn county,
where he raises grain and stock.
In 1870, Mr. Farnham was married to Ella Myers, who was born at Milford,
Ind., July 5, 1854, the daughter of Martin Myers, who was a native of Ohio and
taught school for several years in Indiana. In 1850 her father came across the
plains with an ox-team to the west, locating in Sacramento, where he conducted
the Watcheer house, but after two years returned to
Indiana, where he married, and eight years later came to California with horse
teams, consuming five months in the journey. For a time he engaged in teaming
in Nevada, then came to this state. He died in Woodland when sixty-two years of
age. Her mother, formerly Eliza Keightley, was a
native of Indiana, and the daughter of John Keightley,
who was a millwright. Mrs. Farnham, who is one of three children, taught school
for a few years in her native state. One brother, Charles, who resides in Long
Beach Cal., is a contractor; and Warren is manager of a creamery in Woodland.
Nine children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Farnham, as follows: Stella,
formerly a teacher, married T. J. Dinsdale of
Woodland; Mary E. died when seventeen years of age; Minnie B., who was also a
teacher, died at twenty-eight years of age; Edwin D. is a farmer near Orland,
Glenn county; Alta Mae, who graduated from the State Normal of San Jose and
also followed teaching, married H. N. Cunning of Oakland; Elsie died at eight
years of age and Elmer, Warren and Lloyd are at home.
For over twenty years Mr. Farnham has been clerk of the Spring Lake
school district, and is always interested in educational matters and in all
enterprises for the benefit of his community. He and his wife are members of
the Methodist Episcopal Church at Woodland, and have assisted in building two
churches. Mr. Farnham is a member and past commander of William H. Seward Post
No. 65, G. A. R., of Woodland, and is also identified with Woodland Lodge No.
156, F. & A. M. He is a stanch Republican, and an
ex-member of the county central committee. He is president of Woodland Cemetery
Association. Mrs. Farnham is a member of the Woman’s Christian Temperance
Union, and of the William H. Seward Women’s Relief Corps, in which she served
two years as president. She takes a great interest in floriculture, and has a
large and valuable collection of cacti. Mr. and Mrs. Farnham are estimable and
highly respected people, and have by their thrift and good management acquired
a competency for themselves and their family.
Transcribed By: Cecelia M. Setty.
Source: "History of the State of
California and Biographical Record of the Sacramento
Valley, Cal.," J. M. Guinn, Pages
392-395.
The Chapman Publishing Company, Chicago, 1906.
© 2017 Cecelia M. Setty.
Golden Nugget Library's Yolo
County Biographies