USA > California > Solano County > History of Solano County...and histories of its cities, towns...etc. > Part 53
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Susan Dudley. She was born in the city of London, March, 1837. Mr. W. and wife emigrated to this State in 1859, arriving in Suisun, this county, on November 30th, of the above year. On December 1st, the next day after his arrival, he was employed by Jackson & Combs, in the warehouse known now as the Pierce warehouse; and from here he worked at farming and various occupations until about four years ago, when he, in company with Mr. Vest, purchased a tract of land known as the " Mile Square," about seven miles north-east of Suisun, upon which he now resides. Mr. M. is an extensive farmer, and is one of Solano's solid men.
McMURTRY, JOSEPH, born December 22, 1836, in Calloway county, Mis- souri, where he was educated. In the spring of 1853 he emigrated to California, crossing the plains with his two uncles, William and Calvin McMurtry. The subject of this sketch, having parted company with his relations, arrived in Sierra county, August 20, 1853, and worked in the mines, and filled the position of a clerk in a general store until the fall of 1858, when he paid a visit to his native State, but returned in the following spring to Sierra county, where he started the express busi- ness, between Downieville and Minnesota, in the above county, combining with it the duties of mail and paper carrier, which he followed for two years. In March, 1862, he came to Solano county, and settled on a ranch near Elmira, where he remained until September 1, 1868, when he moved to the farm he now occupies and owns, comprising five hundred and forty acres of land. Married, April 16, 1861, Miss Anna Barrett, in Centre- ville, Suisun, who was born June 15, 1842, in Newark, N. J., and has a family of eight living children, and one dead, namely : Joseph B., born January 8, 1862, died June 3, 1869 ; James T., born September 5, 1863 ; Anna S., born January 29, 1865 ; George C., born August 25, 1867 ; Louie L., born August 25, 1869; Frank, born May 31, 1871; Clara, born No- vember 10, 1872; Gracie, born October 14, 1874; Eugene, born Novem- ber 5, 1876.
WELLS, J. C., born in Tyler county, West Virginia, November 15, 1819. At the age of twelve years moved with his parents to Monroe county, Ohio, where he received his education. He resided here until 1855, and in April of the above year moved to Linn county, Iowa, and followed farming until 1864, when he emigrated to California, crossing the plains with a horse team, and landed in Vacaville August 15th of the same year, and settled on the plains southwest of Elmira, where he resided for two years. He then purchased a farm near Dixon, where he resided for one year ; he then located on his present farm, one mile west of Elmira, comprising 160 acres. April 26, 1873, Mr. Wells and son Bazzleel took a
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trip to Ohio, and returned in about six weeks, since which time he has resided upon his ranch. Married March 4, 1852, Miss Accia Wells. She was born October 1, 1833, in Tyler county, West Virginia. Eliza J., Charles T. (deceased), Temperance V., Bazzleel, and Florence B. are the names of their children.
Wait not till my hands are at rest Ere you fill them full of flowers ; Wait not for the crowning tube rose To make sweet the last sad hours.
Wait not till my eyes are closed For the loving look and phrase, But while you gently chide my faults The good deeds kindly praise.
The words you would speak beside my bier Fall sweeter far on the living ear ; O fill my life with sweetness, Ere I should die to-night!
WIGHT, F. M., was born near Bloomfield, Davis county, Iowa, on March 2, 1850. In August, 1862, moved near Kirksville, Adair county, Mo., a city of several thousand inhabitants, which was nearly destroyed in an engagement between the armies, which numbered about five thousand sol- diers, during the late Rebellion. During the spring and summer of 1862, there were several skirmishes between the Union troops and the bush- whackers, in and around this city. At the above place he was educated and from which he removed to California in 1870, settling on his present estate of 160 acres, in Elmira township, Solano county. Here his father, E. R. Wight, died August 26, 1873, since which time the subject of this sketch has been manager of the homestead rancho.
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DENVERTON.
ARNOLD, OSCAR D., was born in Ripley county, Indiana, September 3, 1837. When about two years old he, with his parents, moved to Stark county, Ill., where he received his primary education. In 1853 emigrated to California, via Nicaragua route, and arrived in San Francisco on May 22d following. He went direct to Shaw's Flat, Tuolumne county ; stayed three months with his father in a store which he had opened there. In October of that year his father sold out, and the family came to Solano county, settling in the Montezuma hills. In 1859 Oscar entered the Ulattis Academy at Vacaville and remained one year, after which he fol- lowed threshing and horse-breeding for one year. In the fall of 1861 he rented his father's farm till May, 1864, when he went to Nevada, with 2,000 head of sheep, which he sold, and then returned to his father's farm in 1865. Was foreman of the place until the fall of 1869. In August, 1870, moved on the Harmon rancho, where he lived until 1871, then bought his father's rancho of 900 acres of land, which is situated about three and one-half miles from Denverton, where he has since lived. Mar- ried Miss Emily Wein, July 12, 1870. She was born in Iowa City, Iowa, January 7, 1850. Ora A., Eugene L., Alma P., and Oscar D., are the names of their children.
BARKWAY, R. H., was born in Suffolk county, England, Sept. 24, 1832, where he resided twelve years, when he came with his parents to Michi- gan, and attended school, and farmed. In 1853 he emigrated to Califor- nia, arriving in San Francisco in December of that year, and settled in Santa Clara county, taking charge of a ranch for C. J. Collins, for a term of four years ; after which he bought one hundred and five acres of land in that county, on which he made valuable improvements. Here he lived for seven years, when he lost the entire farm, it being in one of the Span- ish grants. He then came to Solano county, settling on a farm at Bingham- ton, where he resided for five years ; thence to his present place about eight miles west of Rio Vista. While Mr. Barkway was in Santa Clara county, he attended a University at North Santa Clara four terms. He is a licensed preacher, and has been engaged in pastoral work for the last twenty-five years. Married Mary E. Weaver, by whom he has Annie, Edward K., Fannie F., Hattie M., (deceased) and Abbie E.
BUCKLEY, TIMOTHY, a native of Cork county, Ireland, was born Dec. 10, 1832, where he received his education and worked at farming until
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April, 1854, when he emigrated to the United States, settling on a farm about three miles from Boston, Massachusetts; came to California, via Panama, in 1861, arriving in San Francisco on November 6th, of that year, where he was employed as a laborer until June, 1866, when he came to this county, settling in Denverton township, on 160 acres of land he pur- chased at that time, situated seven miles west of Rio Vista. He married Miss Bridget Lane in July, 1864; she was born in Cary county, April 14, 1829.
FOTHERINGHAM, JOHN, born in Saline, Fifeshire, Scotland, July 24, 1822, where he received his education, and learned the trade of pattern- maker, in a foundry, which he followed until the spring of 1851. Married Miss Elizabeth Drysdale, April 5, 1851. She was born July 17, 1828, in Alva, Stirlingshire, Scotland. He emigrated April 7, 1851, the second day after marrying, for America, and went to Boston, where he resided for eighteen months, when he came to California, his young wife return- ing to her native country. He stopped in San Francisco for two years, and followed his trade, and then returned to Scotland for his wife, believ- ing that California was the place for him to reside the remainder of his life. He returned with his wife August 14, 1857, and took up his resi- dence in San Francisco, where he remained until July, 1867, when he came to this county and purchased 320 acres of land, where he now resides, eight miles north-west of Rio Vista, and seven miles south-east of Denverton. Has four children living, as follows : James, born May 25, 1852; Mary, born Dec. 23, 1857 ; Nettie, born March 12, 1865 ; Elizabeth, born Nov. 27, 1870.
KERBY, CLINTON, was born in Green county, East Tennessee, June 8, 1826. His parents moved to Jackson county, Missouri, where Mr. Kerby was educated. In 1850 he emigrated to California, crossing the plains, arriving in Sacramento, September 22d, of that year; went to Drytown, in Amador county, and kept a hotel about three months. He afterwards opened a hotel in Ione valley, which he conducted until December 5, 1851, when he returned to the East via Panama. May, 1852, he again crossed the plains to this State, bringing 350 head of cattle, and arrived in Sacramento the following September. He kept his cattle in Sacra- mento county until the fall of 1855, when he took them to Sonoma county, and, after two years, brought them to this county. In the fall of 1858 he bought 1,700 acres of land, situated about four miles south from Denverton, where he now resides. On April 15, 1873, he married Miss . Emily A. Johnson, who was born in Wayne county, Ohio, July 20, 1843. Their children are Clinton and James H., who were born in Sacramento, California : Clinton, August 15, 1877 ; James H., December 30,1878.
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NURSE, S. K. This prominent citizen of Solano county was born in Mon- roe county, New York, February 12, 1820, in which place he received his early education, residing there until 1839 when he moved to Oakland county, Michigan, and for one winter taught school there. In the spring of 1840 he returned to his native county and in the following winter again taught school in the district where he had been educated. In the following spring he left for Ohio and then commenced the hard work of his life : for a portion of the year toiling at a threshing machine, and in others varying it by school teaching. In 1842, in spring, Mr. Nurse pro- ceeded to Rochester, New York, and there commenced the study of med- icine and dentistry which he prosecuted till that fall when he took the field as a dentist, traveling as such until the autumn of 1845, when he attended a course of medical lectures at Cleveland, Ohio. Once more we find Mr. Nurse as a traveling dentist, and in 1847 he entered a telegraph office at St. Louis, Missouri. In the May following he removed to Spring- field, Illinois, being employed in the office as a telegraph operator, where he continued until December 31, 1848, when he sailed by way of Panama to California, arriving in San Francisco on May 19, 1849. His first sum- mer in the Golden State Dr. Nurse passed in the mines, then in company with L. B. Mizner of Benicia, run a stage some two months from that place to Sacramento when the steamer "Senator " arrived, which closed that business. Late in the fall he went to San Jose, Santa Clara county ; in the following spring he departed for the southern mines; and in May, 1850, he came to Benicia, Solano county, where he resided but a short time, sailing thence for South America, in which country he remained one year being engaged in railroad surveying. On January 6, 1852, he once more arrived in Benicia where he lived until the month of May, 1853, when he settled in Denverton, then a portion of Montezuma township, and built the first house erected there, it being, in size, twelve feet square. Since those days times have greatly changed. Mr. Nurse now possesses a large warehouse and store on the grounds where he located in 1853. He has handed his name to posterity in the well-known "Nurse's Land- ing," a point of export of grain ; while in 1855 he was elected on the first Board of Supervisors which sat for the county. He has occupied the position of Postmaster at Denverton for the last one and twenty years ; is a member of the Masonic Order and was a member and Master of Benicia Lodge, No. 5, one of the oldest in the State ; while he has held the office of High Priest to the Solano Chapter, No. 43.
Mr. Nurse has once, in 1852, paid a visit to his native State of New York, remaining there, however, but four months. He married December 2, 1863, Mrs. D. A. Nurse, who was born in Monroe county, New York, June 5, 1830 ; she being a widow of D. A. Nurse-a brother of the sub- ject of this sketch-who resided here as early as 1853. The circumstances
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of his death are not out of place here. Mr. Nurse and wife were on their way east to make a visit. They sailed from San Francisco on the steamer " Golden Gate," accompanied by Miss Katie Cogswell, a sister of Mrs. Hollister, formerly of Suisun township. The steamer started out well laden with human freight, and was considered one of the best on the line. When she arrived near Manzanillo, on the coast of Mexico, on July 16, 1862, she burned to the water edge, and nearly all the passengers were lost, and among the number was D. A. Nurse and Miss Cogswell. Mrs. Nurse was rescued after being three hours in the water. She took the next steamer for San Francisco, arriving there without accident. The follow- ing year she was married to Dr. S. K. Nurse as above stated.
PREVOST, L., the subject of this sketch was born in Belgium, September 6, 1827, and here was educated and raised as a farmer. In 1850 he engaged in the grain trade on his own account, successfully following it until 1853, when he emigrated to California, locating in Alameda county ; thence in 1858 to Contra Costa county ; thence to Sonoma county in 1866 ; coming to this county, settling in Denverton township and buying four hundred and eighty acres of land one-half mile west of where he now lives. The place is now owned by Prevost & Girard, and is situated, five iniles east of Denverton and eight miles north-west of Rio Vista. Mr. Prevost has followed farming continously since arriving in California.
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MONTEZUMA.
ARNOLD, JAMES W., born in Stark county, Ill., May 29, 1844, where he resided until May, 1853, when he emigrated to California, with his parents, via Nicaragua. He went to Tuolumne county, where he remained but a short time, and then came to this county, November, 1853, and attended common schools until 1863, when he entered the University of the Pacific, at Santa Clara, which he attended for two years. He then enlisted in the Mexican War, under General Ochsa, serving under him during one summer. He then taught school in Nevada county during the summer of 1866, and returned to this county and located on a quarter-section in Rio Vista township, where he lived one year. He then prospected through Los Angeles county, looking for a place to locate. In the fall of 1868 he returned to this county, and married Miss Mary J. Hargrave, January 15, 1869. He then spent about four months in Santa Clara county, and then returned to this county, bought a band of sheep and drove them to Merced county, where he remained until April, 1877. He then returned to this county, and remained in the same business, until the spring of 1878, when he settled at Bird's Landing, and engaged in the meat business, where he now resides. Is Justice of the Peace of Montezuma township. John D., William O., James P., and Gloria E. are his living children.
BIRD, JOHN, was born in Onondaga county, New York, September 8, 1837, where he was educated and lived until the fall of 1859, when he emigrated to California, via Panama, arriving at San Francisco October 29. After spending about two months in Santa Rosa, he went to Marin county, where he was employed about three years as foreman on a farm. In August, 1862, he went to Sacramento county, where he had charge of a dairy and stock farm until 1865, when he came to this county and pur- chased about 1000 acres of land and started a shipping point, storage and commission business ; a portion of which took in the present site of Bird's Landing. He has resided here ever since. During the year 1876, he held the office of Justice of the Peace of Montezuma township. Married Miss Emily J. Hargrave, May 6, 1869; she was born in Wayne county, Illinois, June 5, 1847. Henry, born January 25, 1870; Walter, born November 11, 1871 ; Albert S., born October 12, 1873; John, Jr., born March 10, 1878, are their living children.
BOND, J. C., born in Suffolk county, New York, October 23, 1846, where he received his education and learned the ship-carpenter's trade, which occupation he followed until about twenty years of age, when he emi- grated to California; crossing the plains by rail and arriving at San
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Francisco in October. He farmned in Alameda county for one year and in Sacramento county for about sixteen months, and in the Spring of 1872, settled in Montezuma township, this county, where he has since lived, his principal business being farming. He has been appointed once and elected twice to the office of Constable. In 1877, he was appointed Deputy Sheriff, by J. E. Williston, which office he has held ever since. Mr. Bond married Miss Julia E. Baldwin, November 25, 1866, daughter of Edward Baldwin, of Suffolk county, New York.
DONELL, WILLIAM, was born in Ireland, July 2, 1834, where he re- ceived his education and lived until about eighteen years old, when he emigrated to Pennsylvania, where he worked on a farm and in Linsey's Rolling Mills for about eighteen months, when he went to Iowa, where he followed farming for about six years. April 28, 1862, he started, in company with eight other men, for Carson City, Nevada, but on their way they changed their minds and went to Idaho, arrived at Elk City, Idaho, in July. After mining there for about three months, he went to Portland, Oregon; from there he went to Port Gamble, Washington Terri- tory, where he remained until April, 1863, when he came to California and worked in Yuba county on a farm for a short time, and then came to this county in May, 1863. He worked at different places in Suisun valley and Montezuma hills until 1874, when he settled on the farm where he now lives, consisting of 320 acres, and located about two miles north-west from Bird's Landing. Mr. Donell married, September 19, 1872, Miss Addie E. Galbrieth, daughter of James Galbrieth. William H., Addie H., Ettie S. and Ida M., are their children.
HOOPER, THOMAS T., born in Salem, Mass., Dec. 26, 1811, where he was educated, and learned the carpenter's trade, and worked at the same until 1849, when he emigrated to this State, leaving Boston, Nov. 30, 1849, sailing in the ship "Nester ;" rounding Cape Horn, arrived in San Francisco June 6, 1850; coming direct to Benicia, working at his trade until October of that year, when he went to Fort Van Cover, Oregon, where he was employed by the Government for six months. He went to San Francisco ; worked until August, '51 ; then went East, and returned to Benicia, May, '52; then kept hotel in Benicia one year; then went to San Francisco, as clerk in Post-office, one year; returning to Benicia in the fall of 1854, when he was appointed Postmaster, and held said office eight years, when he came to his present farm, consisting of 1,000 acres, located in this township, and situated about three-fourths of a mile north- west from Bird's Landing, there being only a few settlers in the township at that time. Married Lavina, D. Proctor, July 20, 1837. She died July 28, 1863. Thomas P., and George-died August 27, 1848-are the child- ren by this marriage. He again married, Augusta M. Foster, December 27,1868.
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HOSKING, WILLIAM, a native of England, born in 1835, arrived in Cali- fornia in 1858; mined in Sierra county till 1862; and from here went to Virginia City, Nevada, and engaged in mining and stock dealing till 1870, when he returned to California ; bought the wharf, store and hotel at Collinsville, where he is at present engaged in business. Married in Vir- ginia City in 1868, Miss Elizabeth Gordon, Rev. Mr. Wicks, of the M. E. Church, officiating. Have one daughter - Mary Jane Elizabeth - born April 7, 1871.
MEINS, ROBERT, was born in Delaware county, New York, January 20, 1837, where he was educated and raised a farmer. He immigrated to California, leaving January 20, 1860, coming via Panama, arriving in San Francisco, February 19th, of that year. He only remained in the city a few days when he went to Sacramento; then he came to this county, and we date his residence here in April, 1860. He was first employed on a ranch as foreman, which position he retained two years, after which he was employed by Dr. S. K. Nurse in a general store at Denverton, remaining three years. Married Miss Elizabeth A. Spencer, November 20, 1865, who was born in Lincoln county, Ohio, May 4, 1842. She died August 20, 1876. Mr. R. Meins came to his present farm, containing 136 acres, after marriage, said farm being located on Montezuma slough, two miles north-west of Bird's Landing. He has erected a large, commodious warehouse, capable of holding 1,200 tons of hay and the same amount of grain. Carrie J., born June 17, 1867 ; Ida, born December 17, 1872, are the names and births of his children.
PAGE, W., was born in England, May 7, 1830. At the age of fifteen he came to the United States, and lived in Oneida county, New York, as a dairyman until March 7, 1859, when he started for California, crossing the plains with an ox team, and followed the business of farming in this county up to March 15, 1877, when he engaged in business in Collinsville and follows it up to the present time. He married Mrs. Alice Helstrup, (widow of E. Helstrup) December 25, 1876. She was born in Boston, August 24, 1851. She having two children by her first husband, one daughter, named Edith, born August 21, 1871, and one son, named Ches- ter S., born June 5, 1873; also two children by the second marriage, Mary Page, born July 23, 1877, and W. Page, born May 1, 1879.
UPHAM, E. J., was born in Kennebec, Maine, November 26, 1836, where he was educated and resided till 1854, when he emigrated to California by way of the Nicaragua route, arriving in San Francisco, October 1st of that year. Went direct to what is now Del Norte county, where he engaged in farming, as well as lumbering, until 1861, when he came to
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Solano county, settling on the ranch he now owns, consisting of 160 acres, and has added certain amounts from time to time until he now owns 6,000 acres. He has been a large stock raiser, but for the past three years has turned his attention to grain raising.
WINTER, H. E., was born in Stark county, Ohio, on January 27, 1832. Here he received his education. When seventeen years old he emigrated to Elkheart county, Indiana, where he remained one winter, thence to St. Joseph county. Here he apprenticed himself to a shoemaker for three years, then went to Goshen, county seat of Elkheart county, Indiana, following his trade. Four years thereafter he located in Middleburg, clerking in a store for two years, and returned to Goshen, following the same occupation in a hotel, City Hall, etc., until April 18, 1861, when he started overland with horse teams for this State, arriving in Sacramento in August following. After working in that city one month he went to Bloomfield, Sonoma county, working at his trade six months; thence to Suisun, this county. Two months thereafter he made a short trip to Sacramento and San Francisco, and returned to Suisun, opening a boot and shoe shop in the fall of 1862. In March, 1871, moved to San Fran- cisco, remaining five years, then came to Bird's Landing, where he now resides.
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TREMONT.
AGEE, CHRISTOPHER C., is a native of Buckingham county, Virginia, where he was born, February 26, 1826. When about six years old he re- moved with his parents to Charleston, and there received his education. In 1839, his parents again removing, he accompanied them to Lewis county, Mo., where he was employed as a clerk and bookkeeper for seven years, and then started in business on his own account, which he continued for four years. In 1849 he crossed the plains to California, arriving at Sacra- mento on September 4th of that year, when, shortly after, he and his brother (W. W. Agee) built the first store ever opened in Nevada City, Cal. He also worked at the mines with very good success. In 1852 he returned to Missouri, and purchased and improved a farm, on which he resided for five years, and then, selling out, he proceeded to Iowa Point, Kansas, on the Missouri river, and again engaged in trade, which he car- ried on for about four years, when he sold out, still holding his private property, and went with an ox-team to Pike's Peak, but not meeting with encouragement, at the end of two months he returned. Mr. Agee then traded his private property at Iowa Point for land in Carroll county, Mo., and also bought another farm in north-eastern Missouri, where he resided for two years; then he located in Illinois, where he speculated for a couple of years, when he sold his Missouri possessions, and once more started for California, with mule and ox-teams, accompanied by his brother-in-law, J. A. Ellis ; arrived in Sacramento September 4, 1865. On arrival he rented a tract of land from Judge Curry, which he farmed for ten years, residing on the ranch for the first three years, the remainder being passed in Dixon. He also farmed four hundred acres of his own land in Yolo county, and, in November, 1877, he moved on to the place where he now lives, situated four miles north-east of Dixon. Mr. Agee married March 4, 1852, Miss Elizabeth J. Ellis, who was born in Oldham county, Kentucky, December 18, 1832, and has had Mary E .; William E .; Susan ; and Walter L. ; all of whom are deceased; and living, Charles F. and Lillie C.
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