Yolo County
Biographies
AUGUST V. HUCKE
August V. Hucke, one of Yolo county’s best known farmers and highly regarded citizens, has led a busy and industrious life and though at times he has met with reverses, his persistence and determination ultimately have been rewarded by worthy success and today he is numbered among the solid and substantial farmers of the valley. Mr. Hucke was born in Germany, on the 9th of August, 1861, and was reared on his father’s farm, acquiring his education in the public schools of his home neighborhood.
In 1884, when twenty-two years of age, in company with a boy friend, he emigrated to the United States to seek his fortune. He came direct to Yolo county, California, arriving here with a cash capital of less than fifty dollars. He secured work on John Richie’s ranch at a wage of twenty-five dollars a month, and from that time to the present has been engaged in farming, always doing his best to improve his condition. At one time he rented four hundred and eighty acres of land, in connection with which he assumed an indebtedness of two thousand five hundred dollars. However, in this venture misfortune overtook him and for a while things looked very discouraging but he refused to admit defeat, persevered in his efforts and by the most rigid economy and the hardest kind of work, eventually cleared off his obligation. He has rented farm land in various sections of Yolo county and is probably one of the best known farmers in the county. He has farmed in the Dunigan district, in Capay valley, and the Winters, Madison and Plainfield districts. About twelve years ago he bought his present ranch of two hundred and forty acres, in the Yolo district, which he has developed to a high state of improvement and production, it being one of the best cultivated farms in this locality. He has modern farm implements and machinery, including a grain harvester, and follows progressive methods in agriculture. Formerly he gave much attention to raising wheat, but now his main crop is barley. His ranch is well supplied with horses, sheep and hogs. In his early days here he gave special attention to raising horses, and had a span of twin brothers, whose sire was distinguished as a pacer, having won several important races. Both of the colts were broken to drive single or double.
In 1898 Mr. Hucke was united in marriage to Miss Bertha Wilkendorf, who was born in Yolo county and is a member of one of its pioneer families. They became the parents of two children, August, who assists his father on the home place, and Martha Elizabeth, who married Paul S. Schuder, a farmer near Woodland, and has one son, Donald Allen. Mr. Hucke has always been interested in local public affairs, but has never aspired to office, content to act the part of a private citizen. He has been an exemplar of true manhood and loyal citizenship and no resident of his community is held in higher esteem than he, for he has consistently stood for those things which have contributed to the public welfare.
Transcribed
by Craig Hahn.
Source: Wooldridge, J.W. Major History of the Sacramento Valley
California, Vol. 2 pgs. 24-25. Pioneer Historical Publishing Co. Chicago
1931.
© 2005 Craig Hahn.
Golden Nugget Library's El Dorado County Biographies