USA > California > Tulare County > History of Tulare County, California with biographical sketches > Part 37
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Mr. Ayers arrived in Grizzly Flat, El Dorado County, the 23d day of July, 1852, and did, as almost everybody else, com- menee to mine. At first he mined in what is known as the Brownsville diggings, until 1856, then, until 1858, near Jackson, het hen went to Butte mines, where he mined on the Feather River until 1866.
In 1866, Mr. Ayers gave up mining and commenced to farm in Yolo County ; he remained there until 1877, when he settled down in what is known as the Mussel Slough District, in this county.
OLIVER PADDOCK lives within six miles of Hanford, three miles from the railroad, and twenty-eight miles from the county seat. Mr. Paddock is a prominent sheep raiser. He
*His cattle range extended to the Four Creeks, then known among the spaniards as Quatros Arroyos.
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owns a flock of 600 fine sheep, which are valuable more on account of quality than quantity. His farm of 320 acres is of fertile soil, and adapted to raising most any kind of farm prod- ucts. His orchard of 200 trees furnishes pcaches, apples, pears, plums, cherries, apricots, and nectarines. Six cows furnish milk, six hogs meat, and there are ten horses for work and pleasure. Altogether we see that Mr. Paddock has a pleasant and desirable home and property. That he had to work hard for it can be surmised.
Mr. Paddock's birth occurred April 4, 1834, in Cattaraugus County, New York. He lived with his parents on a farm up to his sixteenth year, when he entered into a mercantile concern. Before coming to California, he had drifted to Wisconsin, whence he started on the 1st of April, 1859, for this State. On the way overland, per ox-train, of which he was captain, he was once captured by Indians, but escaped unhurt. He says it was a nice trip of five months and twenty days, with- out any accidents worth mentioning.
Mr. Paddock's career sincehe arrived in California, September, 1859, has been one of prosperity. In 1861, he went back East in order to bring his family to his new home in Tehama County. In 1863, he spent the summer in Virginia City, Nevada; then went to San Mateo County, where he resided until 1876. In the same year he came to this county where his present home is located.
Mr. and Mrs. Paddock (the latter Miss R. J. Lewis, of Michi- gan, whom he married in 1856), have a charming family of seven children, one boy and six girls, named: Edith O., May E., Fannie L., Jennie G., Nellie G., Bertie L., and Chester B. C. Paddock.
SAMUEL TOME has a fine place, which appears amongst our illustrations. His neat and pleasant home is situated near Hanford, in this county. Mr. Tome, who is a farmer, culti- vates 240 acres of land, which bring him an average of twenty bushels per acre yearly, and an orchard of 135 trees, which brings him fruits of various sorts. He owns 12 head of cattle, 45 sheep, 20 hogs, besides horses and mules.
Mr. Samuel Tome was born October 31, 1830. He grew up on a farm, and became a farmer. In 1860 he emigrated to Illinois from Pennsylvania; then in 1864 overland to Oregon; and finally, in 1866 came to California, where he established himself in Stockton.
Seven years before leaving his native State, Mr. Tome mar- ried Miss Nancy Smeltzer, who is also a native of the same State. She accompanied him to every place where he went, and is at present making his home a pleasant one. Mr. and Mrs. Tome are the parents of four bright children, two boys and two girls, named: Agnes Wilson, Susie Bingham, J. Pelter, and Henry Tomc.
In 1873 the family mnoved into this county to their present abode, which is situated twenty-one miles from Visalia, three
and one-half miles from the railroad, one and three-fourths miles from a school, and within three and one-half miles of a church.
MADISON MONROE BURNETT was born in 1848, near Warsaw, Benton County, Missouri. When nearly eleven years of age, his two older brothers, Isham and John, joined on the 3d of May, 1859, a company consisting of eight fami- lies, who started on that day per ox-train across the continent towards California. At the request of the little boy, his brothers took him along, and thus he became a member of the party.
As the company had a large drove of cattle, it took them four and a half months to accomplish their journey. They were attacked once, while going through Echo Pass, by a band of 100 armed Indians, which were repulsed, but succeeded in killing a large number of the company's cattle.
In the fall of the same year, Mr. Burnett, whose history we will give now only, arrived at Mountain View, where he attended school until 1865. Then he learned blacksmithing, which trade he followed up in different places until 1874, when he settled down and became a citizen of this county.
Through industry and diligence, Mr. Burnett succeeded in acquiring the valuable property he now possesses. His prop- erty is located within two and a half miles of Tulare City, and seventeen miles of the county seat. The railroad runs through. Its consists of 700 acres, highly cultivated land, which will bring about thirty-tive bushels of wheat or barley per acre in good seasons. An orchard thereon contains 140 fruit-bearing trees, amongst which we find most all kinds of fruit. His stock consists of 350 head of fine sheep, 13 hogs, and about 30 horses.
Mr. Burnett married, in 1882, Miss Floretta F. Churchill, a native of De Kalb County, Illinois. He is now the father of two children, named: Frank Walter and Myrtle Maud Bur- nett.
S. M. GILLIAM was elected Supervisor of his district November 7, 1882. He is a Democrat in politics. He has often represented his district in local conventions, and has been Trustee of Porterville School District for six years. He was a delegate to the late San Jose State Convention.
He was born in Dallas, Polk County, Oregon, in 1854. His father was Rev. S. F. Gilliam. The subject of this sketch came to Tulare County in 1860, when only six years of age, and really is a native of Tulare County and identified with its interests. His father being unable to assist him, he was dependent upon his own exertions for an education and a start in life. He used to teach school in winter, and work as a laborer in the harvest field. He has attained his present standing by strict integrity and industry.
His father emigrated from Oregon in 1859. He brought cattle to this county in July, 1860, and settled seven miles
FARM RES. OF W.G. PENNEBAKER. ON OUTSIDE CREEK, 8 MILES S.E OF VISALIA,
CALA.
RANCH & RES. OF J.J. FULGHAM, 8 MILES. SW. of VISALIA TULARE CO. CAL
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east of Visalia near what is now Farmersville. But at that time the country was only sparsely settled, and there was no town there then. They lived there until the spring of 1867, and then moved to Tule River. They settled two and one-half miles from Porterville, which at that time consisted of a hotel and store. Young Gilliam helped his father on his farm until eighteen years of age, when he began teaching school, whichi he continued until he accumulated enough of means to enable him to attend college. He graduated at Heald's Business Col- lege, San Francisco, April, 1874, after which he engaged in book-keeping until 1876, when he went into the mercantile business on his own account. He started with a small stock of notions, and kept the post-office and Wells, Fargo, & Co.'s Express, and continued in this manner until 1881, when he enlarged business by entering into copartnership with Mr Guy Gilmer, under the firm name of Gilliam & Gilmer. Their stock consisted of general merchandise.
W. G. PENNEBAKER, who has had his fine farm sketched and represented among the homes of Tulare County farmers, fur- nishes the following descriptive narrative, which we publish entire :-
"I was born in Owen County, Indiana. In 1844 my parents moved to Putnam County, where they lived until November, 1846, when they removed to Des Moines County, Iowa, where they resided until August, 1850, when they emigrated to western Iowa, and located in Wayne County, fifteen miles northeast of Congdon, the county seat. This was a new country, with a settlement about every five or ten miles on the public highways and in the most favorable regions. The county settled rapidly, and the date of 1860 found heavy settlement all over the more fertile regions, with churches, schools, and prosperous little towns and villages in the more densely popu- lated parts.
"In 1862 I enlisted in the Federal service, in the Fourth Regiment of Iowa Infantry Volunteers, Col. J. A. Williamson commanding. After rendezvousing at Camp McClellan, Da- venport, Iowa, we started for Helena, Arkansas, to join the command which had preceded us to that point, arriving there in November of the same year, and went into active service ahnost immediately. Was with the command on the Cold Water expedition, at the battle of Haines Bluff, on the Yazoo River, above Vicksburg. On New Year's, 1863, was in the battle of Arkansas Post; again returned to Milliken's Bend, op- posite and a little above Vicksburg, on the Louisiana side. Remained there until March, and made one raid after General Forest, starting from Greenville, Mississippi, and marching in the direction of Deer Creek.
"I was afterwards present at the siege of Vicksburg, battles of Lookout Mountain, Mission Ridge, Taylor's Ridge, Resaca, and all the engagements that the Army of the Tennessee was in, including Atlanta and Sherman's march to the sea; and
back through the Carolinas to Raleigh, where we were tempo- rarily encamped when Lec surrendered, and peace was de- clared, when we took up our line of march for Washington City, where we arrived in time to take part in the review, on May 16, 1865, after which we were transferred to Louisville, Kentucky, where we were mustered out, and retured to Daven- port, Iowa, in August of the same year. Receiving our dis- charge papers, we again started for our homes, from which we had been absent so long.
"In 1867 I concluded to emigrate to California, and on the 20th day of April, 1868, started overland with my family, ac- companied by my parents, now eighty years of age, and a brother and family who had formerly resided in California, but was East on a visit; also a brother-in-law, James Peck, and family, and F. Brown and wife. Our route lay through the southern tier of counties of Iowa; and crossing the Missouri River at Nebraska City, started for the Platte River, by way of Lincoln, Nebraska; arriving at Fort Kearncy, on the Platte River, where our stock, consisting of horses and mules, were stampeded at 9 P. M., May 8th. At 3 A. M. of the 9th, I started in pursuit, in company with William Boswell, W. H. Peck, and T. Brown, following our stock to the crossing of Bea- ver Creek, 130 miles, which they had made in eighteen hours, about eight miles per hour. We made the same distance in twenty-three hours, without food or rest; and, recovering our stock, joined our train. On the 15th we took up our line of march again, following the overland road to Salt Lake City, arriving there June 23d, and was present at the funeral of Heber Kimball, June 24, 1868. Leaving the city on the 26th, we again resumed our march, arriving at Carson City, thence to Dayton, Silver City, and crossed the summit of the Sierras. "We reached Visalia, Tulare County, August 6, 1868, after a tiresome journey of three months and a half. I immediately engaged in the business of raising sheep, which I pursued for eight years with success. In 1871 I located on my present farm, eight miles southeast of Visalia, and have been engaged in farming, raising hogs, horses, and some cattle.
"I have 730 acres of land, and cultivate about 320 acres. Yield of wheat per acre, about twenty-five bushels; barley, thirty; alfalfa, two tons per acre at each cutting. I have about 500 fruit trees, 400 grape vines; grow apples, peaches, plums, pears, apricots, nectarines, prunes, cherries, figs, also ahnonds and blackberries. The character of the soil is sandy loam, with good water privilege, both from ditch and also from the natural channel of Outside Creek, which runs one-half mile through iny farm, affording a bountiful supply of stock water the entire year.
"Was married February 26, 1859, to Miss Louisa J. Jennison, of Shelby County, Indiana. We have eight children-four boys and four girls-whose names, in their order of birth are: Sarah E., Laura, William Sherman, Bloom, Leonora, Willie, Carl, and Cora Pennebaker."
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FORREST G. JEFFERDS was born in Brownsville, Piscataquis County, State of Maine, August 26, 1829, and was the son of Alpheus and Rebekah Jefferds, who moved from Brownsville to Laxcroft, in the same county, when he was two years old, where he lived until he was sixteen years of age. He then got the consent of his father to leave home and take care of him- self, and went to Lowell, Massachusetts, where he found work in the Hamilton Point Works, and worked until the war with Mexico broke out, when he enlisted in Company A, Massachu- setts Volunteers, to serve during the war, and went to Mexico.
When the war closed, he returned with the regiment to Bos- ton, and was discharged July 24, 1848. He then learned the trade of making gas-meters for the Boston Gas Light Company in Boston,
In August, 1851, he started for California, by way of the Isthmus of Panama; went by steamer from New York to Cha- gres (this was before the railroad was made across the Isthmus); went up the Chagres River in a canoe to Cruces, and across from there to Panama on a mule; was ten days on the Isth- mus. He went from Panama to San Francisco on the old steamer Republic. Twenty-one miles below San Francisco, the steamer ran onto rocks, in the fog, and stove a hole in her, and the water rushed in and put the fires out. The fog soon cleared up, and passengers could see the shore, which was about five miles away. The purser went ashore in a boat, and with horses went to San Francisco for a boat to come and take passengers away. The vessel ran on the rocks about 11 o'clock A. M. The next morning the steamer California came. The passengers had worked all the time since the steamer struck, pumping water to keep the vessel afloat. They expected the steamer that came would take them aboard, but instead, threw a rope and fastened to the wreck, and kept the passengers bailing water until they got to the city, where they arrived on the 5th of October, 1851, twenty-one days from Panama and thirty-eight days from New York.
In a few days he went to the mines in Nevada County, and lived near Nevada City, on Gold Run, about one year; then moved to Rough and Ready, same county. He had some very good claims on Gold Run, also on Randolph Hill near Rough and Ready. In 1855 he moved to Timbuctoo, Yuba County, where he was an owner in a hydraulic claim known as the "Babb Claim," and worked the claim until 1861, and made some money. He came near losing his life in it-was caved on and taken home for dead, but brought to life. He was cov- ered several feet deep with earth and water, was badly bruised, and had a leg broken.
In 1860 he came to Tulare County and bought the land on which he now lives, but did not move here until October, 1861. He had some fencing done, and fruit trees and grape vines put out in 1863.
He had all the fruit and grapes wanted for family use, and raised wheat, barley, oats, corn, sweet and Irish potatoes, and
almost every variety of fruit. At one time he had over sixty varieties of grapes. He has on the farm now about 40 head of horned cattle, 150 sheep, 5 horses, 20 hogs, 35 acres in alfalfa; has 316 acres of land, seven miles from Visalia, same distance from the railroad, and one-fourth of a mile from Farmersville Post-office. A school house is on a corner of the farın, one-fourth of a mile from the house, and church is held in it every Sunday.
He was married to Miss Zanetta D. Whitney in 1853, who was a native of Waltham, Massachusetts; had three children: Edward M., Minnie, and Netta Jefferds. His wife died in 1868. In 1869 he married Mrs. Nellie Reed, widow of Tilden Reed, and they have one daughter, Nellie, now ten years of age.
In 1871 he was elected County Assessor of Tulare County, was re-elected several times, and held the office eleven years, until 1883.
JOHN S. URTON .- No one has been more prominently con- nected with the work of laying out, by complete and accurate surveys, the present irrigating ditches, not only of the Mussel Slough District, but of a large part of Tulare and Fresno Coun- ties, than the subject of this sketch. John Samuel Urton was born October 13, 1844, in Jefferson County, Kentucky, on his father's farm, twelve miles east of Louisville, on the old turn- pike road to Lexington. He received his education from the neighborhood schools, and at Forest Academy, in charge of the noted teacher, Burr H. McCown. After completing his studies at this noted school, he began the work of a civil engineer at the age of twenty, on some of the railroads of his State, under Henry Nettelroth. In 1870, he went West and was en- gaged for three years in Government employ, surveying the public domain in Kansas and Indian Territory.
In the spring of 1873, Mr. Urton came to California, and after spending several months in San Francisco and in traveling over different parts of the State, he located in the Mussel Slough coun- try in January, 1874, and has since that time been fully identified with the interests of Tulare County. His first work in engi- neering here was during the following summer on the Settler's Ditch taken from the north bank of Cross Creek, one of the lower channels of Kaweah River, about two miles above the railroad crossing, and running through the eastern portion of his district, with a length of about eightcen miles. This ditch being satisfactorily completed in the fall of 1875, he was em- ployed that fall on the Lakeside Ditch, taken from the same stream some six miles below the point of diversion of the Set- tler's Ditch. This was finished in the winter of 1875 and 1876.
In the fall of 1875 he also took charge of the People's Ditch as general superintendent and engineer, and this important work was completed the following winter. This ditch, having its head-gate on the south bank of King's River, a mile below the railroad bridge, near Kingsburg, has a capacity of 150 cubic
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feet per second, and is not only the largest, but is generally considered the best located, most thoroughly completed, and, all things considered, the most valuable canal that irrigates the noted and productive Mussel Slough lands. Its entire length, including its three main branches, is 45 miles, enabling it to cover a larger area than any of the seven ditches of this region. While this work was progressing, Mr. Urton also surveyed the Emigrant Ditch, Fresno County, which takes its water from the north bank of Cole Slough, two miles below its source. The latter is the most northerly channel of Lower King's River, leaving the latter a mile and a half below the Kingsburg Bridge. This ditch, with a length of 15 miles and a westerly course, irrigated the Wild Flower District.
During the year from the fall of 1876 to 1877, he was engaged in surveying the Kingsburg and Centerville Canal in Fresno, which heads on the north bank of King's River, a mile below the Church head-gate, and has a capacity of 150 cubic feet, and a total length of about 60 miles. Since then, he has been con- stantly employed in various important irrigating enterprises, such as the Kaweah and Tulare Canal, Wutchumna Canal, and a number of smaller ditches in Tulare and Fresno Counties.
His last and most extensive work is that on the large '76 Canal ! This truly great enterprise was begun by his prelim- inary surveys in April, 1882, and the main portion of it was completed sufficiently to receive the water of King's River by the middle of May, 1883.
During these thirteen months, an amount of work was ac- complished that far exceeds any similar enterprise in the State. This mammoth canal has its point of diversion on the south bank of King's River, where that large stream debouches from its deep cañon in the Sierra Nevada, thus surveying its water supply higher up than any of the numerous canals from that river. For the first five miles it uses a natural channel of the river to its huge head-gate; it is 100 feet wide and furnished with 20 five- foot gates. For the next eightmiles, sweeping around the western bases of Bare Mountain and Campbell Mountain, the chief ar- tificial portion of the canal has been constructed through gravel beds, sand-stones, conglomerates, marls, and dry bogs, with a uniform width of 100 feet on the bottom, and a uniform fall of 18 inches per mile. The lower levee, the main and sometimes the only one along the mountain bases, is eight feet wide on top, furnishing a good wagon road 20, and even 26 feet high in places, and varying in width of base from 40 to 100 feet. The construction of this vast work required the displacement of not far from 500,000 cubic yards of earth, at an expenditure of about $80,000.
This canal, with its large capacity of 700 cubic feet per sec- ond, discharges its vast volume of water at present-after con- veying it by means of an immense dam across Wahtoke Creek, 300 fect long and 26 feet high-into the old channel of Button- willow Creek; thence after a meandering course of 25 miles
into Cross Creek, and thence to Tulare Lake, about 50 miles from its source.
Though all of the "'76 Canal " yet constructed, and all of the large tract of its upper lands to be irrigated, are in Fresno County, it is designed, and has the capacity to irrigate a vast acreage of first-class lands in Tulare County, east and north of the Southern Pacific Railroad; and one of its ultimate objects is to consolidate into one system all of the numerous irrigating ditches in the northern and western parts of Tulare County, including those in the Mussel Slough District.
To Mr. Urton's experience and energy as a competent engi- neer is to be ascribed a large part of the credit due to the enter- prising company undertaking this large work, for its rapid execution and its ultimate success.
JOHN SHELLEY ROBINSON, of Grangeville, was born in Fayette County, Indiana, April 20, 1830. His early years were spent on his father's farm, and his only advantages of education were those afforded at that time by the country schools. In 1850 he removed to Rush County in the same State, and there, on October 2d of the following year, he was married to Miss Eveline Thomas, his present wife. Soon after his marriage, he went to Monroe County, Iowa, and after farming there several years he removed with his family to Cooper County, Missouri.
In the spring of 1857, after two years' residence there, he started across the plains for California, with a party of emi- grants, bringing his family and household effects in an ox- wagon, or by "ox express," as he terms it. In a trip of four months over the old emigrant route, their party had no trouble with the Indians. They arrived in Sacramento County on the 25th of August, 1859. That fall he located in Sonoma County, four miles southwest of Santa Rosa. After engaging in farming there for a year, he next settled in Lake County in the fall of 1860, the year in which that county was organized. In 1861 he removed to the neighborhood of Fairfield, Solano County, and located on 160 acres of the Suscol Rancho. He was one among some 300 settlers who were dispossessed in 1865, by a special Act of Congress.
Losing the home he had sought to secure, he next went to Santa Cruz County, and lived for three years near Soquel, engaged in farming and teaming. In 1868 he tried farming near Hollister, and for two successive years lost his crops.
In 1871, he moved eastward, and first crossed the Coast Mountains to Los Banos, Merced County, and after trying unsuccessfully to farm in that then dry and unirrigated region for two years, he brought his family to Tulare County, locat- ing on some of the land he now owns near Grangeville. The first year he sowed only twenty acres of wheat, spending much of the time in working on the irrigating ditches, which were to be the salvation of the Mussel Slough lands, and which were constructed by his fellow-farmers and himself by a hard strug-
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gle and well-known privations, without any capital but the labor of themselves and teams. He aided in making both the Last Chance and the Lower King's River Ditches.
During the succeeding ten years of his residence here, he has farmied extensively, depending chiefly on wheat. Of this fine crop, he sowed, in 1875, 300 acres; in 1876, 700 acres; in 1877, 1,000 acres; in 1878, 1,100 acres. He and his son Wesley and two sons-in-law have since continued to farm annually 1,200 acres, all in wheat but 100 acres, devoted to alfalfa, pastures, and orchards.
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