The record-union., 1891-10-12
A CAPAY COLONY,
Busy Fruit-Gfowers in a Pretty
Yolo Valley-Tancred and Its
Adjoining Farms

THE SPRING OF LAST YEAR
hooert A. and Neal u. Barker associated
themselves with William Mckay. all of Oak,
iahd, with view OF searching out n suitabIo
location IN which 10 engage in the rroftabla
occupation OF fruit-growing. After VISITING
many localities, they decided on tho Capav
Valley, Yolo County. and the Rhodes tract AZ
Tancred
negotiations were opened with the Capay
alley Land Company, owning the tract in
qlestion. With w. H. Mills, the General
Agent of that company they arranged for tbs
purchase of about 22o acres Of foothtn land
1hls being moro than they had Thought os
taking for their own use, they spoke 10 a
number of friends about it, with the result
that the tract was divided among the follow,
ing people: b. L. Ricllok 40 acres; VT
Earnett, 90 acres; N. T. Greathead. 90 acres.
Mrs L. Greathead, 90 acres; w. Mckay. 90
acres; N. d. Barker 20 acres; r. A. Barker.
~ acres; j. z. Brownlee 20 acres; f II. Has.
lett, 10 acres; Joseph Barker, 10 acres. A w
Kelly 10 acres, and Frederick Kelly. I O acres.
SO far this had been merely a nriyafe YEN.
ture of the gentlemen above named. but in
talking up the question of dividing the land
FN'ASi4teSSNA, u WIS iOunu tfllI so many
more would like TO join It than the area OF the
purchase would admit OF, that IL was sug.
gested on all hands, why not get some mora
land and divide it up in the same wayY"
Ihen followed the idea of q stock company to
take hold of larger tract and arrange for the
cultivation OF the whole of 1t, after subdividing
IT according TO the requirements Of the sub
scribers. A provisional board was formed. a
prospectus issued, and finally, on the 5th OF
june 1890, the Western Co-operative Col.
onization and Improvement Company was
duly registered and proceeded to business.
with tne following officers: President Will
lam Mckay; Vice-President NJ. p Brown:
Directors-H. G. Ellis, Charles Brooke and
X A. Barker; Secretary and General Manager,
Neal D. Barker; Solicitor, c. E. Shook: Treas
urer, First National Bank Of Oakland.
The balance of the tract, 1873 acres, was pur.
chased. A contract was entered into for the
purchase OF large number Of fruit trees
vines, etc. This early purchase of trees was
the means of saving between $4,000 and
$4,000 TO the company the prices i'm some
cases having more than doubled since then.
The ideas which the prospectus set forth
have been but slightly modified and the
progress of the company has been unInter.
| rupted. Those who went into it doubtingly
nave become enthusiastic, and almost all the
members arranged to set out alrtheir lands in
fruit trees, etc., the first year. Consequently
In this, the first season, some &c, 100 trees and
between 10000 and 10000 vines viii be
pTanred.
The satisfactory working OF this scheme has
had the effect of attracting considerable at
tention to the work of the Colony COMPANY
and number of people are now desirous of
joining in with them. An additional 200
acres have been added to the sixty acres
originally purchased
For the company is predicted very bright
future, as well for the beautiful vaIleyin
which their operations are conducted. How
this marvellous little garden has come to be so
long neglected is puzzle to every one who
has visited it, but one thing is very sure and
that is that this neglect will never again be
felt in the valley
The fruits set out are mostly of the standard
Var1eties-peaches, apricots, Bartlett pears.
prunes, ngs, raisin grapes, etc, while along
both sides of the avenues throughout the
tract, walnuts will throw their graceful shade
A AconsiderableJnumber of citrus trees are also
being set out; quite sufficient number 10
| demonstrate that these fruits can be success
| fully grown in the valley about which the
colon1sts appear to have no doubt provided
proper care is given to the young trees. Neal
d. Barker General Manager of the company.
resides on the tract and to his care is to be as.
cribed much of the success of the venture
Mention should be made of the town-sita
ABOUT which there is a pleasant innovation
which might with profit be followed by more
ambitious places. A small park of some three
acres has been laid out right in the center of
the town. This park it is proposed to beautify
by planting in it from time to time as many
of the beauties and curiosities OF tree and
shrub life as may be obtained by diIigent
search and a wise expenditure of money It
is not expected that Tancred will ever be q
| go---
can be made very pleasant little place to
dwell In.
petition has been circulated recently and
very largely signed, asking the county to ac-
cept Island avenue, on the colony tract as a
county road, and to build a bridge across
Cache Creek at this point, in order to give tho
settlers on the east side of the creek access to
Hancred Station. The Tancred colonists are
quite willing to give the necessary right OF
way, and are very desirous of having bridge
there, as the colony lands extend along both
sides of the stream. 1t is thought that It
would be very wise expenditure of public
money to grant them this very necessary i'm
provement, the operations of such COM
panies are of widespread benefit to the whole
county and State. The attractions and COM
forts of the cities are well known but to those
who are willing to settle on the land and show
that the country also affords attractions and
comforts and ways of making money pleas
antly, every inducement should be held forth.
The following is list of the principal MEM
bers of the Tancred Colony, with the number
of acres owned by EACH and fact worthy of
mention is that in each contract or deed is
sued by the Colony Company there is pro-
vision that no intoxicating liquor shall ever
be manufactured or sold on the land. The ap-
parent success o the enterprise shows that
! the ideas and plans of the colony, as set forth
| in the prospectus some time ago, are not inn
| practicable: C. T. Hull Berkeley, 3 acres; w.
P. Hammon Oakland, Ia acres; c. S. KaSson.
San Francisco, IL acres; Jos. Barker, / o acres;
| A w. Kelly, Kincardine, Ont, 5 acres; n. L,
Greathead, 5 acres; Il. g. Greathead, Oakland
! 10 acres; r. A. Barker, San Francisco, 10
acres; N. D. Barker, Tancred, 10 acres; DR.. X
Favor, San Francisco, 81 acres; j. p. Brownlee
Kincardine, Ont, 8 acres; W. 4. Barnett,
Berkeley, 3 acres; NJ. p. Brown, 10 acres;
Chas Brook, Sr Oakland, 10 acres; w. C.
| Boutelle, Berkeley, 20 acres; Mrs. I. A. Crelin
| Oakland 3 acres; G. II. Peach, Tancred,
| acres; II. C. Ellis, Oakland 10 acres; j. Van
! stone Winnipeg, 10 acres E. A. Vanstone,
Tancred, 5 acres; Z. Wadsworth, Sacramento,
| s acres NJ. A. Thomas, Oakland 6 acres;
| James Graham, San Francisco, IL acres; a
! Stark IL acres; j. Stark, 10 acres; Mrs. NJ.
/ Vrooman 8 acres G. E. Shook, 10 acres; G.
/ It, Greathead, II acres; VIM. Mckay, 5 acres;
Mrs VIM. Mckay, Oakland, acres Mrs. q.
/ G. Wooley Brooklyn, n. Y, 10 acres; Mrs. III.
/ Beckley Oakland, 3 acres; L. A Marriott, 5
/ acres: j. c. Harrison, Tancred, 3 acres. The
land reserved by the Colony Company, i'm
| dingclr townsite, consists of 81 acres.
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