USA > California > Merced County > History of Merced County, California with biographical sketches of prominent citizens > Part 33
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On the ranch he keeps 6,000 sheep, which he finds more profitable than cultivation of the soil. He began the sheep business in 1856, with only 200 head of ewes, and from them, by industry, frugality and economy, he has increased his flocks and his fortune. Our artist has endeavored to give an idea of Mr. Daulton's home and surroundings, with a few specimens of his fiue sheep in the foreground of the view.
Besides the sheep he keeps 100 head of cattle, 50 hogs, 14 horses, and other stock. With a sufficient rain-fall, from twenty to forty bushels of wheat could be raised to the acre, but Mr. Daulton considers sheep as more profitable, as yet, in that section of country.
H. C. Daulton was boru in Marysville, Kentucky, in 1829. His parents moved to Missouri in 1831, and engaged in farm- ing nntil their death, leaving Henry an orphan at the age of sixteen. He received a common school education and worked at farming in Missouri until April, 1850, when he left Hannibal, Missouri, for California.
He married Miss Mary Jane Hildreth, a native of Missouri, in 1854. They began life without a dollar, and their success shows that industry and economy are the chief roads to pros- perity. Their living children's names are : Henry, Ida, John Francis, Agnes, Naoma Grace, Jonathan R., Maud Louisa, and James William Daulton. Two of their first born, Mary Sabrina and Thomas Henry, are not living ..
Mr. Daulton's ranch borders on Merced Connty. His post- office is Buchanan, Fresno County. It is twelve miles to the railroad and thirty-five miles to the county seat.
In September, 1866, Mr. Daulton was elected to the office of Supervisor of District No. 1, in Fresno County, which position be occupied with entire satisfaction to his constituents for nine | years, at the end of which time he published a card, declining to hold the office longer. In noticing the subjeet the Fresno Expositor said :-
" Mr. Danlton has faithfully filled the office of Supervisor for over eight years, and he will retire from the office as he entered it, with an unblemished reputation. No one can, with any degree of truthfulness, accuse hitu of misappropriating one single dollar of the county's funds. His retirement will be generally regretted."
WILLIAM M. RAYNOR.
One of the largest land-owners is Mr. William M. Raynor, whose farm of 9,000 aeres extends into three counties, viz .: Fresno, Merced and Mariposa Counties. The character of the land is mostly rolling hills, affording good pastnrage for Mr. Raynor's 10,000 sheep, 20 head of eattle, and 20 horses. His home though is in Merced Connty, about forty miles from county seat, and fourteen miles from the Southern Pacific Rail- road. A school is adjoining, but the nearest church is about eighteen miles distant. Water transportation is about fifty miles.
Mr. Raynor is the son of Mr. Mycagah Raynor and Mrs. Ruth Raynor, formerly Miss Baldwin. He was born at Hamp- stead, New York, in 1831, and was brought np on the farm of his father until he was seventeen years of age, when he went to Richmond County in order to learn the baking business. Coming to New York, he, November 6, 1851, embarked on the steamer Cherokee for Panama. He had rather a rough trip, for after reaching Aspinwall it took bim five days to come up Chagres river, after which he took the steamer McKino for San Francisco; bnt having had bad weather again, he, after jour- neying four months, left the steamer, which got out of coal and provisions, in San Simeon Bay and took the coast steamer to San Francisco, where he at last arrived April 6; 1852, after a journey of five months. Mr. Raynor afterwards resided in Jamestown, Tuolumne County, and came into this county in 1874
In 1861 he married Miss Jennie Carman, a native of New York, and has now three children, whose names are: Addie Myrtle, Andreas Sylvester, and William Nelson Raynor.
NICHOLAS BIBBY.
One of the Supervisors of Merced County; and wbo repre- sents tbe "west side," is N. Bibby, a native of New York, where be was born in 1832 and left an orphan at the age of three years. His chances for education were limited, and be had to make life self-sustaining after nine years of age. Being
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HISTORY OF MERCED COUNTY.
a blacksmith he traveled from place to place in search of busi- ness and information. On April 15, 1832, in company with a younger brother, wbo was drowned in Big Blue River in 1853, and in the employ of Dr. Cunningham of Independence, Mis- souri, started for California with a drove of sheep.
He arrived in Sacramento in October, 1852, and worked at his trade, but was soon taken with mining fever, and at Nevada City made 811,000 the first eighteen months. He weut to Oregon in the winter of 1855, and invested $10,000 in cattle and drove them to this State. He did well at this busi- ness, until the drought of 1864 nearly ruined him financially. He lived in Solano County from 1856 to 1863, when he moved to the Berryessa Valley, Napa County, where he was well fixed, but soon lost all. He again worked at his trade and made a new start.
He came to this county in 1869. He has 520 acres of land and is engaged in mixed husbandry, but principally raising wheat. The land is subject to irrigation from the San Joaquin and Kings River Canal. He has about 500 trees of all varie- ties, which grow to perfection and bear abundantly.
He married Miss Mary Robinson in 1857. They have had eleven children; all but one are now living. Mr. Bibby is a mem- herof the Royal Arch Masons, the Knightsof Pythias, and Ancient Order of United Workmen, and in religion is Episcopalian.
WILLIAM APPLEGARTH.
William Applegarth was horn in Canada, in October, 1830. His parents, John and Jane Applegarth, brought him up as a miller and farmer.
Before coming to California, Mr. Applegarth lived in Hamil- ton, New York, which he left on June 20, 1860, to go per Pacific Mail Steamship Line to San Francisco. The trip occu- pied only twenty-five days, was accompanied with fine weather, no· births, deaths or marriages happening, but all hands being sometimes obliged to feed on fish only. Mr. Applegarth arrived, well and full of working spirit, in Stockton February 14, 1860.
Like many others, Mr. Applegarth commenced his life here as a miner, mining in Austin, White Pine, and in Plumas County, California. He had, like the plurality of miners, the luck of getting " dead broke," as they call it.
Finding out that mining was not a very profitable business, Mr. Applegarth went to farming again, living some time in Stockton, Woodbridge, Greenville and Brooklyn, He came to this county four years ago (1877), when he purchased his present farm of 1,200 acres of sandy loam land, yielding about twenty bushels of wheat and thirty bushels of harley per acre on an average. He keeps generally three cows, thirty horses, and twenty-five hogs on his farın.
The home. is located seventeen miles from the county seat, seven miles from railroad, but a school is adjoining.
In .1871 Mr. Applegarth ,married. Miss Mina McPherson, a native of Canada West. . They bave three girls, named: Sarah May, Mina Mand, and Mary. M. Applegarth.
JOHN CUNNINGHAM.
Merced County can with truth boast of having some of the largest farms in the State belonging to single individuals. There is for instance the farm of Mr. John Cunningham, situated eighteen miles from Merced County Seat. Although not as large as many others it consists of 5,000 acres, almost right square miles, pasturing forty head of cattle, twenty hogs, twenty horses, and 2,000 sheep. The land is partly cultivated, and produces all sorts of grain. Part of it is a vineyard, yield- ing quite an amount of wine yearly; and the rest, rolling hills with beautiful scenery and woods, is used as a pasture.
Mr. John Cunningham is a native of Dun Given, County Londonderry, Ireland. He learned the carpenter's trade while at home, and worked afterwards as ship-carpenter in Liverpool. Seeing so many ships leaving that port he got a desire to see something of the world, so in 1851 he bade his father, Mr. James Cunningham, good-bye, and took passage on a steamer bound for New York. From there he traveled per steamer south across the Isthinus, and finally lauded in San Francisco.
The first thing Mr. Cunningham did after reacbing this State was to go to Grass Valley, wbere he stayed, occupying himself with mining until November, 1853. He had good success there.
He lived afterward on the old Stockton and Fort Miller road. He afterwards came to this county, where he now resides.
Mr. Cunningham has only one child, a girl, named Rosa A. Cunuingham, she being the fruit of Mr. Cunningham's mar- riage to Miss Mary Ann Maclusky. This worthy lady is a native of Mr. Cunningham's birthplace. There were married in 1867.
DAVID EASON LEWIS.
D. E. Lewis is a native of Wayne County, Tennessee, where he was born October 2, 1821, and is a son of Earl and Eliza- beth Lewis. He married Sallie D. Lewis in 1847, who was a native of Tennessee. They have eleven children, all living in this county, and doing their share of labor. Their names are: Darwin Stuart, Mary Elizabeth, Beckie Wilson, Malissa Ann, Martha McAllister, Virginia Lee, Emma Frances, Jessie Cammie, Jasper Franklin, Charlotte Jane, and David Neal Lewis.
Their farm of 200 acres is situated within six miles of Plains- hurg, twelve miles from county seat, nine miles from the rail- road, eighteen miles from San Joaquin River, and twenty miles from Merced River. A school is within two and oue-half miles, and the church is only six miles distant. The land is first-class, and yields an average of thirty bushels per acre.
Mr; Lewis owns twenty head of cattle, thirty hogs, 1,500 sheep, twelve horses and five mules.
Before coming to California he lived in Tennessee uutil 1837; afterwards in Washington County, Arkansas. Engaged in
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BIOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL SKETCHES.
stock-raising ten years. Then he lived two years at Fort Coffee superintending schools.
In 1846 he entered the army, voluntarily joining Company F, of mounted riflemen, commanded by Capt. J. Dillard, the regiment being under the command of Colonel Zell. In June, 1847, Mr. Lewis received his discharge just after the battle of Buena Vista in Mexico, and landed in New Orleans July 4, 1847. He returned home and was married on December 16th of same year. He built a saw and grist-mill, and in 1848 moved to Texas and settled on the Colorado River, working at blacksmithing two years. From there he moved to California across the plains via Salt Lake, arriving in San Bernardino November 17, 1855, having been seven months and ten days on the road.
Mr. Lewis came to Merced County in May, 1856, and occu- pies his time partly with farming and partly with blacksmitbing.
JOHN WARREN MORLEY.
Two miles west of Plainsburg, on Mariposa Creek, which winds itself gracefully through the farm, is situated the home of Mr. John Warren Morley, born September 29, 1836, son of Israel Dodge and Samantha Morley, of Onondaga County, New York.
His wife was Miss Abbie Jane Spangenberg, who was born June 16, 1844, in Pennsylvania, and married in 1869. Their children are Albert Warren, born August 5, 1871; Engene Leland, born July 29, 1873; Walter Spangenberg, born June 3, 1875; and Helen Annette Morley, born January 26, 1876.
His farm comprises 680 acres of sandy sediment and adobe soil, averaging annually twenty-five bushels of wheat or forty bushels of barley, is well stocked, and has plenty of water and fine pasturage. It is only three miles distant from the rail- road, and eight miles from county seat. A school is within three-fourths of a mile, and steamboats come to within twenty miles.
Mr. Morley's history is not one of great variations or inci- dents, but one which shows that hard work is a more certain roarl towards wealth than adventure and luck.
Mr. Morley lived on a farm until 1847, when he commenced to run a one horse-power threshing machine, under the direc- tions of his father. He has followed that branch of business ever since, and runs oue of the finest machines in the valley.
He lived in De Kalb County, Indiana, one year; Allen's Prai- rie, two years; Jonesville, Michigan, two years; and in Steuben County, Indiana, three miles south of Angola County Seat, up to 1852. He left the last named place in March, 1852, per wagon, for California. He went first to Chicago, thence to Iowa City and Council Bluffs; crossed the Missouri, May 2, 1852, and arrived in Hangtown, August 3, 1852. He had no chance to see much of interest, as he was unfortunately con- · fined to the wagon, during the whole trip, on account of inflammatory rheumatism.
Before entering this county, on November 16, 1869, he lived in San Joaquin County, and from the fall of 1853 until the fall of 1869, on the Tnolumne River, in Stanislaus County.
The view of his fine place, which is one of our largest illus- trations, gives a very good idea of Mr. Morley's home, situated on the banks of the stream, surrounded by orchard, out-build- ings, windmills, and all the requisites of a farm home. Dot- ting the farm will be noticed noble old oak trees, aud in the distance, partly hid by the trees, the village of Plainsburg. The farm presents a scene of activity, with the headers cutting the wheat, and separator, with its steam-power, separating the wheat from the chaff. Here will also be noticed that new aud useful arrangement, the boarding-car, that relicves the family of the cooking and care of the hands during harvest time.
ROBERT EARL.
It is a fact that mostly such men succeed in this world who start life humbly and work hard; they are generally called self-made men. Such a one is Mr. Robert, Earl, a native of Ohio, and son of Edward and Elizabeth Earl. He was born in 1840, aud followed farming all his life, and is therefore one of the best and most successful farmers of Merced.
Before coming to California he lived in Knoxville, Knox County, Illinois, which he left, per ox and mule-train, to travel over the plains, in order to reach the Golden State. He made the trip in six months, had no troubles with Indians, and had, altogether, an agreeable trip, which termiuated at Stock- ton, September 19, 1861.
Mr. Earl brought his wife with him, whom he married in Illinois, in 1861. Her maiden name was Miss Mary White; she died in Stockton, in 1864, after a short married life of three years. Mr. Earl became quite lonesome after this sad event, so in 1865 he returned to Illinois, where, after a stay of two years, he, on August 9, 1867, married Miss Renaline Conner, with whom he returned to Stockton, reaching that place the second time, in the year 1868. He moved into this county. to his present home, in 1869. His second wife lived only ten years after being married: she died August 5, 1877. Mr. Earl has five children: Robert, Mary, Charles, Lela, and Floyd Earl.
LARGE THRESHING OPERATIONS.
Although owner of a farm of 700 acres of land, which yields, on an average, from twenty to forty bushels per acre of wheat, Mr. Earlis, with reason, proud of his threshing machinery, which he owns and superintends. It is one of the best outfits in Merced County, and has threshed in one day 1,077 sacks of wheat. He also owns fourteen mules and horses, used on the farm and in threshing. .
His land is located fifteen miles from county seat, three miles from church, railroad, and post-office, one mile from school, and twenty miles from water transportation.
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HISTORY OF MERCED COUNTY.
JOHN LEANDER CRITTENDEN.
The " Willow Farm," which is beautifully situated within eight miles of Hill's Ferry, belongs to J. L. Crittenden, wbo was born April 18, 1832, at Otis, Berkshire County, Massachu- setts. He lived there until he was seven years of age, when his parents, John and Lucinda Crittenden, moved, by way of the Erie Canal, to Buffalo, and thence on Lake Erie to Cleve- land, Ohio. There Mr. John Crittenden, Sr., procured wagons and moved to Medina, about thirty miles from Cleveland, where they commenced life by reuting a piece of land and liv- ing in a log house in the woods. They lived happily on the products of their hard labor for ten years, when they decided to move to California-
The trip overland was tedious and coupled with a great many troubles and incidents. The provisions gave out and obliged them to kill their mules to sustain life, as they were a long distance from any station or cabin. Other travelers were met on the road, and provisions had to be divided with them, or suffer the consequences. At last, after eighty days' journey- ing, they arrived in Hangtown, El Dorado County, where young Crittenden, then seventeen years of age, went to mining, He afterwards mined in Volcano, where he was quite successful.
In 1872 Mr. Crittenden, the subject of this sketch, married Miss A. M. Greenough, a native of Bangor, Maine, with whom, after purchasing his present farm, he nuoved into this county, November, 1872. Previous to his arrival he lived in Contra Costa County. They have no children living.
The farm consists of 320 acres of land, yielding on'an aver- age about twenty busliels of wheat and barley per acre. It also affords pasturage for his stock, amounting usually to three cows, fifty hogs, two horses and twenty-four mules The farm is located about fifty miles from the county seat, twenty miles from railroad, eight miles from water communication, and four miles from school and church. It is on the "west side," and near Los Baños.
G. R. PENEGAR.
It is really a pleasant thing to record the biographies of men, who, through their activity and spirit, become successful. They are what are called self-made men. California is noted for them. They may be found everywhere. Mr. Penegar is one.
Mr. G. R. Penegar, born July 25, 1835, the son of Leonard and Margareta Penegar, was raised on a farm in Ohio; attended school there and worked at farming until he felt the desire of going to California. He left the vicinity, three miles of Colum- bus, Ohio, and went to Independence, Missouri, in 1864, and April 16th of that year he traveled, per ox-train, as a passen- ger, towards this State. The trip occupied five months, and was pleasant all the way through, excepting that some Indians were prowling around their camps at night, which necessitated putting on guards, obliging Mr. Penegar to act in that capacity every tbird night.
Mr. Penegar arrived at Placerville August 29, 1854, and directed his attention first to mining, having ordinary success in doing so, at American River and in Mariposa County, where he mined for nine years.
October 1, 1879, he married Mrs. Mary S. Shang, a native of Missouri, who proved herself a worthy helpinate in acquir- ing and superintending his large estate. They have no chil- dren. Mr. Penegar has been East twice since living in this county, and made one trip to Oregon. He arrived in this county October 1, 1874.
Mr. Penegar's farm consists of 3,800 acres good farming land, which will average twenty bushels annually of wheat per acre. He has under cultivation 1,200 acres, and uses the rest as grazing land. His stock consists of a dozen horses, twenty-five hogs, and two cows. The farm is conveniently situated, within twelve iniles of the Sonthern Pacific Railroad, and two miles from a church and school. Merced County Seat is twenty miles distant. It heing within twenty miles of either railroad or water transportation makes it a very desira- ble location. He has given it the pretty name of " Antelope Ranch." It is a very desirable home, as may be seen by a sketch made by our artist.
THOMAS GIVENS.
One of the prominent farmers of this county is Mr. Thomas Givens, who came into this county in 1853. He resided at first in Hornitos, and occupied himself with mining, but had only partial success; so in 1858 he went to Santa Clara County, where he went to farming, but considering the San Joaquin Valley a better place, he returned, and now owns a farm of 1,000 acres, devoted to general farming and stock- raising
The farm is located eighteen miles from the county seat, twenty-five miles from the railroad station, thirty-five miles from water communication, and has a church and school elose at hand. It consists of rolling hills, timhered, and clay loam, averaging about twenty-five bushels to the acre of wheat in average seasons.
Mr. Givens has also a great love for stock-raising. He owns at present from forty to fifty head of cattle, 100 hogs, and twenty head of horses and mules. In this department he is also very successful.
Mr. Givens was born July 3, 1836, in Union County, Ken- tucky, where he lived with his parents, Thomas and Catherine Givens, of Caseyville, Kentucky, until December 24, 1852, when he traveled to California via the Isthmus, the trip occu- pying thirty days. He landed at San Francisco February +, 1853.
He was married to a Miss Sarah J. Wills, a California lady, in 1876, and has now two nice little boys, named Samuel B. Givens, aged four years; and Rohert G. Givens, aged two years.
RES.OF D.E. LEWIS, 8 MILES NORTHEAST OF PLAINSBURG, MERCED CO. CAL.
EVERGREEN FARM RES.OF J.H.M$ CLOSKEY, 3 MILES NORTHEAST OF PLAINSBURG, MERCED CO. CAL.
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BIOGRAPIIICAL AND HISTORICAL SKETCIIES.
EDWARD WHEATON BUFFUM.
E. W. Buffum was born in Walpole, Cheshire County, New Hampshire, November 7,' 1830. He attended the school of his native place and the academy uutil 1849, when he entered Harvard Law School, and graduated in the class of 1851. He afterward studied law with Fredrick Vose, iu Walpole, and was admitted to the bar in Cheshire County, in 1852.
He left New York City January 20, 1853, for California, on the steamer Northern Light; came viu Nicaragua, and took the steamer Independence at San Juan del Sur, the fourth day of February.
At about 3 o'clock Wednesday morning, the sixteenth day of February, the Independence was wrecked when off the sonth point of Marguerita Island. Mr. Buffum succeeded in reaching the island by means of a plank, and remained upon the island until about six o'clock the following Friday. Hc was taken on board the whaleship Meteor, Captain Jeffries, then at anchor in the Bay of Magdalena, and sailed out of the bay the third day of March, and arrived at San Francisco the thirty-first day of March-seventy days from New York City.
He engaged in mining at Auburn, Placer County, in 1853, and part of 1854, and was partially successful.
He came to Mariposa County in the summer of 1854, and afterward engaged in building water ditch to the mines, and in stock-raising and farmiug, He entered into partnership with N. S. Stockton (Buffum & Stockton) in 1854; and their operations are mentioned further on.
Mr. Buffum has held the office of Supervisor since 1874. He was re-elected in 1877, and again in 1880, and holds the office now. We can say nothing stronger for his ability, integrity, and popularity among his neighbors, than this: That while he is a Republican, his district has a large Demo- eratie majority.
NATHANIEL STEPHENSON STOCKTON.
N. S. Stockton was born in Lawrence County, Alabama, February 1, 1833. He lost his mother when a year old. His father soon after moved to Itawambo Connty, Mississippi, and resided there until 1844, where Nathaniel went to school most of the time. Afterwards they removed to Shelby County, Tennessee, where he attended school when his health would permit, until 1851.
He started from Fisherville Tennessee, December 23, 1851, taking steamer at Memphis for New Orleans, arriving there Jan- uary 1, 1852, and had to remain there nntil abont the 15th for the California steamer Empire City to sail. Arrived at Havana, on the Island of Cuha, in dne season, three days in advance of the New York steamer with which they had to form a june- tion, which gave a good opportunity of visiting points of inter- est near Havana, of which they gladly availed themselves. On the arrival of the New York steamer Georgia, they were trans- ferred and sailed for the month of the Chagres River, where
they had to land in small boats, the sea being very rough; landing, however, without any difficulty or accident, they pro- ceeded up the river in small boats, dng ont of large trees, to Gnagona, a small town at the head of navigation, and wended their way on to Panama on foot, distance twenty-eight miles, arriving late in the evening and going aboard the steamer Golden Gate, commamled by Captain Patterson, carly the fol- lowing morning, and sailed for San Francisco at 9 o'clock, arriving at that place in the latter part of February, 1852.
He came to this eounty September, 1854, and formed a copartnership with E. W. Buffum (firm name Buffum & Stock- ton), which still continues, and engaged in builling a water ditch for the sale of water to the miners, and kept said ditch in operation for about ten years. He was also engaged in rais- ing cattle, horses, innles, hogs and goats.
LARGE BAND OF ANGORA GOATS.
In 1864 they embarked in the Angora gont business, and bave continned up to the present time with good success. They have a flock numbering 1,700, consisting of thorough-breds and high grades, having shorn from a grade nine and one-half pounds of good Mohair, being one year's growth. This ranch is in Mariposa County.
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