Yuba County
Biographies
JUSTUS
GREELY
JUSTUS GREELY.
Marysville is especially fortunate in having been settled by men of
brain and enterprise, who appreciated the advantageous location of the present
prosperous city, and were active in rapidly developing its many resources. Prominent among the able and intelligent men
who have been influential in promoting its industrial growth and prosperity is
Justus Greely, who, as principal proprietor of the Buckeye flouring mills, has
for thirty-five years been one of the leading flour manufacturers and
dealers. Coming from honored New England
stock, he was born March 12, 1830, in Waldo county,
Me., being a son of John and Lovinia (Brown) Greely.
After receiving a practical common
school education, Justus Greely remained with his parents until attaining his
majority. Being filled with the true
Yankee ambition to make money easily and quickly, he then followed the march of
civilization westward, even to the Pacific coast, induced to come to California
by the fabulous stories that had traversed the length and breadth of the
continent, telling of the discovery of gold within its borders. Expecting to return with untold riches in two
or three years at the most, he came by way of the Isthmus of Panama to the gold
fields of this state, spending the first two months at what was then known as
Rose bar. Going from there to Calaveras county, he mined with fair success for six months, then
returned to Yuba county and remained about three years. Returning to his native state in 1855, Mr.
Greely married, and brought his bride back to California. Locating at Galena Hill, he established a
trading post, and for six years carried on a substantial business under the
firm name of Rideout & Co. In 1860 Mr. Greely went east with his wife
for a visit, and for nine years thereafter resided in New England. Preferring, however, the sunny climate of
this state, he returned to the Pacific coast in 1869, and at once settled in
Marysville. He bought an interest in the
Buckeye mills, which were established in 1853 by Teegarden
& Foster, who erected their mill on land just east of the site of the
present land. The location was then
considered very good, not only for the mill, but for
the large peach orchard which adjoined the property on the east. Since that time, however, floods have filled
the run and covered the land with sand to the depth of fifteen or twenty
feet. Mr. Greely still owns the land,
and uses it for pasture, Bermuda grass being the only thing that will grow on
it. In 1862 A. D. Starr bought out Mr.
Foster’s interest in the mill, which was soon after burned, but rebuilt by Mr.
Starr on its present site in 1863.
In 1869 Mr. Greely purchased a third
interest in the plant, and the business was successfully carried on under the
firm name of A. D. Starr & Co., for four years, then for two years as
Bowman & Greely. January 19. 1875,
the firm suffered a loss by flood of $20,000 to mill and warehouses, but were
not discouraged. In 1876 the Buckeye
flouring mill was incorporated, Mr. Greely and Mr. Bowman each taking a third
interest in the company, while Mr. Starr and others took the remaining
third. In 1877 Mr. Greely bought out Mr.
Bowman’s share in the mill, and in 1884 rebuilt and enlarged the plant. In 1901 the plan was burned. Nothing daunted by the misfortune, the
company rebuilt it in 1902, erecting the present large mill, which is five
stories in height, and the capacious warehouses, which have a capacity of ten
thousand tons. The mill is furnished
with electric motor power, and has a capacity of seven hundred barrels per day,
thirty-five men being employed. The
wheat used is all grown in the Sacramento valley, and the productions of the
flour mill are nearly all sold in California and adjoining states, although the
firm has a good trade with China.
In Maine Mr. Greely married Margaret
Rideout, who was born February 13, 1834, near Bath,
that state, a daughter of Benjamin Rideout. Two children have been born of their union,
Frederick H., of whom a brief sketch may be found elsewhere in this book; and
Margaret, wife of Dr. David Powell, whose sketch also appears on another page
of this work. In their pleasant and
attractive home at No. 307 Fifth street, Mr. and Mrs.
Greely celebrated their golden wedding, March 7, 1904. October 9th of the same year she
passed away. She was very active in
church work and for nearly thirty-five years taught the infant class in the
Sunday school. Mr. Greely has been
active in municipal affairs, and for ten years served as city treasurer. He is a member of Marysville Lodge No. 1656,
K. of H., and is an active and influential member of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, toward the support of which he contributes liberally.
Transcribed by Doralisa
Palomares.
Source:
“History of the State of California and
Biographical Record of the Sacramento Valley, California” by J.
M. Guinn. Pages
631-632. Chapman Publishing Co., Chicago 1906.
© 2017 Doralisa Palomares.
Golden Nugget
Library's Yuba County Biographies