 History of Sutter County, California Thompson & West, 1879 Biographies U through Z URY, John, farmer; Yuba City; was born in Illinois, 1827; where he lived until about 20 years of age, when he removed to Missouri, living there about four years; subsequently he moved back to Illinois, living there until 1854, in which year he came to California, driving oxen across the plains, being six months on the way; he settled in this county at once, and lived here until 1859, when he returned to Illinois. In 1860 he returned west, and spent his time prospecting in Nevada until 1861, when he went to Arizona, remaining there about a year; he then returned to this state, stopping about three months at Los Angeles; from there he went to Virginia City, remaining one winter; then to Marysville, and Colusa county, stopping about three years; from Colusa county, he moved to Sutter county; he then drove sheep to Austin, Nevada. He returned to this county in 1868; owns 160 acres of land 14 miles southwest of Yuba City; married in 1869, to Elsie Murray, native of Scotland; have two children - Mary J., born in 1869; and George M., born in 1871. VAN ARSDALE, A. B.; P.O. Yuba City; was born in Mercer county, Kentucky, in 1830, where he lived about 4 years, when he moved to Marion county; he removed to this State in 1850, and lived in Nevada county two years, when he moved to Sacramento county, and engaged in hauling, which he followed for seven years; he then removed to Yolo county, and engaged in farming until 1862; subsequently he moved to this county; kept hotel in Yuba City 2 years. He was elected Supervisor in 1872, and elected Treasurer in 1877, which office he now holds. He was married June 10, 1857, to Miss Mattie Ray, a native of Iowa; they have one child - a son 19 years of age. VAN FLEET, William, P.O. West Butte; born in Seneca county, Ohio, in 1833, where he lived until 19 years of age, when he emigrated to California, coming across the plains, being four and a half months on the road. He went directly to Sacramento, then moved to Mormon Island, American river, where he engaged in mining; from there he moved to the Buttes, Sutter county, working some years for Parks and Bro.; about this time he was able to procure a ranch for himself; now owns 830 acres. A view of his romantically situated place is given on another page. He has lived in the county since first moving into it. Married Miss Eliza Barrows, February, 1864; no children. VARTY, Francis, farmer, P.O. Kirksville; lives about 5 miles north of Kirksville; owns 210 acres; was born in England in 1839; when about 16 years of age he emigrated to Canada, lived there 7 years; he came to California in 1863 by way of the Isthmus, and settled in Sutter county, where he has since resided; he removed to his present location in 1871. He was married in 1874 to Miss Emily E. Dickey; she was born in this State; they have 4 children - 2 sons and 2 daughters. WADSWORTH, W. M., farmer, P.O. Yuba City; lives on section 28, township 15 north, range 2 east; he owns 1120 acres in sections 28, 29, and 30; was born in Morgan county, Illinois, March 22, 1829. He came across the plains to California in 1853 and engaged in mining in the vicinity of La Porte, Sierra county, until July, 1858; in September of the same year he returned to Illinois, and was married to Miss Sarah M. Lovett, March 3, 1859. With his bride he started across the plains again, bringing with them her mother, his father, and other members of the family, and in November, 1859, settled where he now resides. A view of his place is to be seen on another page. His wife died April 17, 1865; he was again married, September 7, 1865, to Martha J. Wynecoop, who has borne him the following children - Wm. Ulysses, March 7, 1867; Edson Schuyler, September 24, 1868; Frank Alva Curtis, October 28, 1871; Minnie Elizabeth, November 28, 1874; Jennie Meribah, June 13, 1876; Harriet Alice, March 5, 1879. WALTON, B. F., farmer, P.O. Yuba City; was born in Pennsylvania in 1835; he came to California in 1859, and settled in this county, having lived here ever since. We give a view of his ranch and residence on another page of this book. He was one of the organizers of the Farmer's Union. He was married in 1867 to Miss Sarah Starr, by whom he has had five children, all of them are living - Eda, Leonard A., Nydia, Frank Starr, and Victor S. WALTON, O. M., P.O. Yuba City; was born in Pennsylvania in 1835; came by water to California in 1859, and settled in Sutter county; owns 400 acres of land six miles southwest of Yuba City, follows the business of farming; was married in December, 1875 to Miss M. F, Gregg, a native of Iowa. He enjoys the confidence of his fellow men, and is one of the Trustees of the Barry school district. A view of his ranch and very fine residence is given on another page of this book. WARREN, Wm., farmer, P.O. Sheridan. He was born in England in 1834; in 1850 he emigrated to the United States, locating in the State of New York, where he lived until 1854. In that year he removed to Michigan, where he lived until 1859, when he came to California and settled in Sutter county. He was married in March, 1869. He has two sons. Mr. Warren owns 490 acres; he lives on section 28, township 28 north, range 5 east. WAY, Bethel, farmer; P.O. Yuba City; was born in New York, 1828; where he lived until 19 years of age, when he removed to Michigan, living there four years. He then came across the plains, being six months on the way, and went up into Oregon, living there eight years. He came to California in 1859, and settled in Sutter county, engaging in farming and stock-raising. He was married in 1853 to Miss Susan Jones, by whom he had one son. She died in 1863. He was again married in 1875 to Miss Nellie Sutherland, a native of Sweden, who has born him three sons - James E., born in 1875; Hiram and Edward (twins), born in 1879. His son by his first wife, George E., was born in 1853. WEIS, Jacob, farmer; P.O. Grand Island, Colusa county; lives about six miles north of Kirksville; owns 526 acres; was born in Ohio, December 12, 1833; lived in that state until 1851. In that year he started for California by way of the Isthmus, but did not arrive in San Francisco until May, 1852. He started from New York in a steamer. At Panama he took passage in a sailing vessel for San Francisco; when 84 days out the vessel was wrecked about 400 miles from Acapulco. Out of 160 passengers who started from Panama, only about 80 arrived in San Francisco; the others died on the way, from fever and other sickness; the passengers were put on short allowance of water for about three weeks; only half a pint to a person was allowed. After being shipwrecked at the point spoken of, he started on foot through Mexico, he traveled several weeks in this way before reaching Acapulco; he was there only two days when he took passage on the steamer "Golden Gate", and arrived in San Francisco seven days afterward. He commenced mining at Coloma on the American river, about the first on June. He was thus occupied in various parts of the state until 1861. In that year he removed to Idaho, and engaged in mining, locating several placer mines; he remained there about one year, and returned to California in November, 1862. He lived in Auburn, Placer county, for a short time. He was here married, March 5, 1863, to Miss A. E. Ellet, who was born in Clarke county, Arkansas, 1843. About a month after marriage, he returned to Idaho and engaged in running a pack-train from Umatilla to Boise River mines. He sold out in 1864, and again returned to this State, locating where he now lives. A view of his place is given on another page. They have six children living, four sons and two daughters. Mr. W. has held the office of School Trustee for the last six years. WHITE, Daniel, farmer; P.O. Yuba City; owns 320 acres of land; his home is about 14 miles southwest of Yuba City; born in Massachusetts in 1817, lived there until 1858, then went to Tennessee, remained there eleven months and returned to Massachusetts; in 1871, came to California. Mr. White followed wood-turning until 1866; since that time he has followed a farming life. He was married to Miss Elizabeth Kimball in 1847; she was born in Maine; they have four children - Mary E., born March 30, 1848; Daniel T., born April 29, 1849; Arthur K., born November 15, 1863; Nellie M., born September 24, 1865. WHITE, E. J., farmer, P.O. Yuba City; he was born in Huron county, Ohio in 1855. Mr. White came to California in 1868, and settled in Sutter county, where he has since lived. He was married May 1, 1876, to Miss Ida Dean, by whom he has had one child - a daughter, born July 6, 1878. WILLIAMS, Cornelius, farmer and stock-raiser; P.O. Yuba City; was born in Canada; he came to California in 1852, and settled in this county in 1857; he engaged in mining for 2 years; he then followed freighting to and from the mines for several years, being at the same time engaged in buying and selling stock; from 1863 to 1867 he gave his entire attention to the stock business. He was married at Salt Lake to Miss Sarah George, remaining there 6 months; he then returned to the ranch where he now lives, just north of the Buttes; owns 385 acres. A view of his ranch and residence is given on another page. He has been, for nine years, extensively engaged in raising sheep in Utah. They have five children, three sons and two daughters, all of whom are living. WHYLER, William, farmer; P.O. Yuba City; was born in Philadelphia in 1831; when five years of age he removed to Ohio, and lived until 1852; was in the mercantile business in Ohio. In 1852 he came to California and located on the place where he now lives; on the trip across the plains his father and a brother died. Mr. Whyler has spent five years in mining in the State; with that exception, his time has been given to farming; he owns 300 acres about one and one-half miles west of Yuba City; he was one of first settlers in the neighborhood where he now lives. A view of his place can be found on another page. WILBUR, W. W., farmer; P.O. West Butte; was born in the State of New York in the year 1830; moved with his parents to Michigan when seven years of age; came to this State in 1852, and lived in El Dorado county until the spring of 1853 when he removed to the Buttes, where he has ever since resided. He married Miss Katie Swift of Michigan in 1857, by whom he has had six children, three boys and three girls. He owns 410 acres, all fenced, 300 of which are under cultivation; we give elsewhere in this book a view of his place. WILCOXON, Caleb E., merchant; P.O. Yuba City; born in Bullitt county, Kentucky, September 8, 1823; in the spring of 1830 moved to Howard county, Missouri; lived there 23 years; came to California in 1853, arriving in Yuba City September 27th. He was appointed and served as Under-Sheriff of Sutter county in 1854; in September, 1855, he was elected County Clerk, and filled that office until 1861. He was, in that year, elected to the Legislature, and served in the session of 1862, after which he clerked in a store in Marysville until 1863. In September of that year he was again elected County Clerk , and served 3 terms; since then he has been in the mercantile business. In September, 1875, he was again elected County Clerk. He was married February 12, 1846 to Julia A. Crow, a native of Virginia, who has borne him 11 children, 4 of whom are deceased. WILCOXON, T. B., liquor dealer; P.O. Yuba City; born in Howard county, Missouri, in 1835, and lived there until 1853; he came to California in that year, being five months on the plains, and settled in this county; in 1856 he returned to Missouri, and remained until 1860; he then came back to this State. He was married in 1867 to Miss M. S. Smith, a native of Virginia; they have eight children - four sons and four daughters. WILKIE, David, farmer; about 12 miles south of Yuba City; owns 480 acres of land; was born in Scotland in 1837; at the age of 5 years he went to Michigan, where he remained until 1856, when he went to Illinois; after being there two years he came to California; arrived here in 1858; he has followed farming the greater part of his time since his arrival. We give on another page, a view of his ranch and residence. He was married to Miss D. E. Hendricks, a native of Michigan, in 1874; they have two children - David O., born in 1876, and a baby, born in 1879; P.O. Yuba City. WILKIE, John, miller; P.O. Yuba City; was born in Fifeshire, Scotland, in 1842; emigrated to the United States with his parents, when about two years of age, and settled in Livingstone county, Michigan. He came to California in 1858, and settled in this county; he was engaged in farming until about four years ago; he now owns and runs the Yuba City Mill. WILSON, S. E., farmer; P.O. Yuba City; born in Kentucky in 1828; his parents removed to Missouri when he was four years of age; lived there until 1852, when he came to California across the plains with cattle; he drove horses, mules, and cattle across the plains from the States from 1852 to 1868; settled in Sutter county in 1868; since then has followed farming; owns 2,000 acres of land, lives twelve miles south of Yuba City. Married Miss A. D. Abernathy in 1848, she was born in Missouri; they have eight children - five sons and three daughters; he is chairman of the Board of Directors of the Farmers' Co-operative Union of Sutter county. WINCHESTER, M. C., farmer; P.O. Grafton; was born in Vermont in 1825; in 1847 he moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, and lived there two years; he came to California in 1849, and engaged in mining in Mariposa county for one year; he then moved to Santa Clara county and engaged in farming for two years. He came to this county in 1854, and remained until 1860; when he removed to Placer county and farmed until 1871; then he settled on his present location; where, in partnership with Mr. Dameron, he owns and farms 65 acres. WINSHIP, Isaac A., farmer; P.O. Grand Island, Colusa county; owns 160 acres; was born in Massachusetts, July 4, 1822; living in that state until 1847. He was a soldier in the Mexican war, serving about 18 months; he then returned to Massachusetts, but stopped there only about six months, when he started across the plains for California, arriving in the fall of the year; he was engaged as a cook in the "Bell House", Nicholaus, for some time. He moved to the Sacramento river in 1853, and engaged in farming; moved to his present location in 1857. He was married in 1854 to Miss Elizabeth Brock, a native of Missouri; they have 7 children. WITT, Valentine, farmer; P.O. Live Oak; was born in Poland, that part that now belongs to Prussia, in 1828, where he lived until 25 years of age, when he emigrated to the United States, and stopped three months in New York; he then moved to Geneseo, Illinois, where he lived about three years; he came to California by water, in 1856, and first stopped about a month at Gold Hill; then he moved to Marysville, and from there to Oroville; at these three places he was engaged in mining. He came to this county in 1872, and engaged in farming; owns 200 acres nine miles from Yuba City. He was married in 1871 to Miss Charlotte Gard, a native of Germany; they have two children - Mary C., aged 5 years, and Francie L., an infant. WOOD, Ira H., farmer; P.O. Meridian; lives 3 miles northeast of Meridian; owns 280 acres; born in Scioto county, Ohio, March 5, 1833; moved with his parents to Clark county, in 1840; in the spring of 1852, he came to California with his oldest brother, driving oxen across the plains; he engaged in mining on the Feather river, but not with flattering success; afterwards he engaged in furnishing steamboats with wood at Marysville and Yuba City, which he found to be more profitable. In the spring of 1854 he returned to Illinois; in the fall of the same year he went to Texas, remaining there until the spring of 1855, when he went to New Orleans and started again for California, coming by way of the Nicaragua route; arriving in San Francisco, May 7, and again engaged in mining for a short time; subsequently he returned to Yuba City, and once more engaged in the wood business with very good success, until August, 1859; he then removed to Tulare county, remaining there until the spring of 1863, when he removed to Virginia City and vicinity with cattle, remaining in that business about 2 years. He then settled in this county, near his present location; married Feb. 10, 1861 to Miss A. A. Curtis, who was born in Coles county, Illinois, Feb. 7, 1843; they have 8 children living - 6 sons and 2 daughters. WOOD, M. C., farmer; P.O. Meridian; lives 3 miles northeast of Meridian; owns 455 acres in Sutter county, and 362 acres in Colusa county; born in Scioto county, Ohio, July 15 1824; in the fall of 1840 he moved with his parents to Clark county, Illinois, living there until 1849; with his next oldest brother, he started for California March 29th of the same year, driving an ox-team across the plains; there were 6½ months on the way. He engaged at once in mining at Bidwell's Bar Feather river, Butte county, which he followed for one year there and other places, being only moderately successful. Mr. Wood cast his vote for the first Constitution of California in 1849, to be a free state; he still favors the old constitution. He was in San Francisco in 1850 when word came that California had been admitted into the Union. In October 1850, he returned to Illinois by way of Nicaragua route in sailing vessel; was 3½ months on the way; remained in Illinois until March, 1852, when he again crossed the plains with ox-team and cattle; he arrived in October and engaged in mining and trading in beef cattle on Feather river 1853. He was bridge and ferry tender at Yuba City until the spring of 1854, when he again returned to Illinois by way of the Nicaragua route. He was married September 5, 1854 to Margaret Marrs, of Clark county, Illinois; with his bride, he moved to Texas; after looking over 17 counties and not being pleased with the country, he removed to Vernon county, Missouri (ten miles from Fort Scott) in the spring of 1855. A year later he again crossed the plains with cattle for California, with the purpose of permanently settling here. He settled on his present location October 3, 1856; was East on a visit in 1859, returning by way of the Isthmus. He has four children living - one son and three daughters. WOODWORTH, Walter, farmer; section 26, township 13 north, range 4 east; P.O. Sheridan; was born in Essex county, New York, in January, 1815; he lived there until 1838, then moved to Illinois, where he remained until April, 1840, when he went to Jackson, Iowa; in the spring of 1863 he started across the plains for California, arriving in Sacramento valley, August 29, 1863; after living in Placer county one year, he came to this county, where he has since continued to reside; married Miss M. Gould, February 21, 1836; she was born 1812, in Caselton, Vermont; they have 6 children - one son and five daughters. He owns 160 acres of land. YOUNG, George H., farmer, P.O. Yuba City; lives on section 37, township 15 north, range 2 east; owns 160 acres; was born in town of Gray, Cumberland county, Maine, May 9, 1835; enlisted in 1861 in the 13th Regiment, Maine Infantry, and served during the war; Gen. Neal Dow was the Colonel of this Regiment. He came to California May 20, 1870, and lived near Brownsville, Yuba county, for about two years, engaged in the tannery business; subsequently he removed to this county, where he has since lived. A view of his place may be seen on another page. He married Susan F. Andrews, March 5, 1867; she was born in Freeport, Maine January 8, 1849; they have two children - Fannie M., born at Yarmouth, Maine, January 20, 1868, and Chas. Walter, born at South Butte, Oct. 16, 1874. ZEIGLER, Solomon, farmer; P.O. Yuba City; lives eight miles southwest of Yuba City, on his farm of 138 acres; was born in Ohio, in 1842; lived there until he was 20 years of age; came to California in 1862 by water; resided at the Oregon House in Yuba county, four years; came to this county in 1866, and has followed farming to the present time. He married Miss M. J. Stoker, in 1874; they have three children - one son and two daughters. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED |