George W. Foulks
A History of The New California -- Vol. II
Its Resources and People
The Lewis Publishing Company, New York-Chicago, 1905

George W. Foulks has been a California citizen for over half a century, and the greater part of that time has been spent as a resident of Sacramento County. He is one of the prominent farmers and vineyardists of that county. He is not only thoroughly acquainted with and expert in all the details of his industry from its practical side but is also a business farmer, giving his attention to the disposal of his crops after he has produced them from the soil.

Progressive and enterprising in all his undertakings, a man of forceful character, he holds premier rank among the men of his class in Sacramento County. His fine homestead and ranch is located near Elk Gove, where he owns three hundred and twenty acres of land, and of this, seventy acres are devoted to vineyard.

Mr. Foulks is a pioneer in the grape culture industry, having planted his first vines, only one acre of them, in 1860, and he has been maintaining his interest in the business ever since, extending his acreage until he now has the large vineyard as mentioned. The "Mission" grapes are his favorite and principal variety. The rest of his land is devoted to general farming and stock-raising.

Mr. Foulks came across the plains to this state in the fall of 1853, being at the time a boy of eleven years, and during the long journey of six months he helped in many ways to further the progress of the family party, often driving an ox team to one of the wagons. The rest of his immediate party consisted of his widowed mother and four other children. Mr. Foulks is a native of Mansfield, Richland County, Ohio, where he was born June 24, 1842, being a son of Alfred and Effie (Pugh) Foulks, both of Pennsyvania German stock.

His father was a native of Beaver County, Pennsylvania, and his mother of Richland County, Ohio. The Foulks family had long lived in Pennsylvania. The paternal grandfather, George Foulks, with his sister, while living on Raccoon Creek in Beaver County, was captured by the Wyandotte Indians, he then being twelve years old, and he and his sister were held captive by the red men for twelve years. At the age of twenty-four he made his escape, and thereafter served as a government scout, proving a valuable man in that capacity as a result of his early life with the Indians. His sister also made her escape from the Wyandottes, and married a Frenchman of the name of whitaker, subsequently settling on the shores of Lake Erie.

Mr. Foulks was two years old when he lost his father, and the members of the family afterward cooperated in the work of making a livelihood. He attained to years of majority on the ranch where he now resides, and most of his education was obtained after he came to this state. He attended the Elk Grove district school and later Healds Business College in San Francisco. For several years after leaving school he was employed by the Central Pacific Railroad as station agent and operator at Verdi, Nevada, and then for some time was in the sawmilling and lumber industry at the same place.

He returned to Sacramento County in 1881 and has since been a permanent resident on his home ranch. His mother died at the old home place on Frebruary 3, 1891, and he has two surviving sisters. Statira, widow of Thomas Newell, late of San Francisco, and she resides at Livermore, California; and Josephine B., wife of A.C. Freeman, a member of the well-known law firm of Freeman and Bates in San Francisco.

Mr. Foulks was married, September 1, 1886, to Miss Nellie Griffin, who was born in the state of Illinois. They have two children, Guy G. and Nellie V.

Mr. Foulks has identified himself with the various movements looking to the betterment of farming, social and educational conditions in his part of the state. He is a director in the Farmers' Protective Association, and is practically chairman for the Elk Grove district. He has served as a trusteee of the Elk Gove Union high school since that important institution was founded several years ago. He is one of the founders of the Elk Grove Wine Grape Growers' Association, and is a director in the same. Fraternally he affiliates with the Independent Order of Foresters at Elk Grove, and is a Republican in politics.

(Contributed by Michael G. Linn)

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