The record-union., 1891-11-09
A CAPAY COLONY,
Busy Fruit-Growers in a Pretty
YOlO Valley-Tancred and Its
Adjoining Farms

THE SPRING OF LAST YE4N
Robert A. and Neal D. Barker associated
themselves with William Mckay. all of Oak.
land, with a view Of searching out n spftahl.
location In which 10 engage in tho pro6tab,s
occupation of fruit-growing. After visiting
many localities, they decided on the Capay
Valley, Yolo County, and the Rhodes tract a.
Tancred
Hegotiations We're opened with the Capax
aiiey Land Company, owning the tract ia
q1estion With W. II. Mills the General
agent of that company they arranged for tho
purchase Of about 22o acres OF foothiu land
Iris being more than they had thought Of
taxing for their own use they spcJ,e IN a
number of friends about it, with the res,Is
that the tract was divided among the foIIoyx.
ing people: B. L. Rickok, 40 acres: W.T.
fsrnett 90 acres; n. T. Greathead. 90 acres.
Mrs l.. Greathead, 30 acres; W. Mckay. On
acres; n D. Barker, go acres; r. A. Barker
20 acres j. P. Brownlee go acres: f. Fl Hos.
iett 10 acres; Joseph Barker 10 acres. w
Kelly 10 acres, and Frederick Kelly. 10 acres-
SO far this had been merely q prfvate yam,
talking up the question Of dividing the land
already purchased, 1t was found that so MANY
more would like to join it than the area OF the
purchase would admit OF, that it was sur-
gested on all hands, ''Wly not get some more
land and divide it up in the same vyay?n
linen followed the idea Of q stock company ia
take hold of a larger tract and arrange for tina
cultivation of the whole OF it, after subdivjdiug
II according to the requirements of the SUBJ
scrioers A provisional board was formed n
prospectus issued, and finally, ON the 5th Of
June, 1890, the Western Cooperative 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.
Dlrectors-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 373 acres. wns rur.
chased. contract entered into 10, ths
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 in sous
cases having more than doubled since then
The ideas which the prospectus set forth
nave been but slightly modified and the
progress OF the company has been uninter-
rupted. Those who went into it doubtinpIv
have become enthusiastic, and almost all the
members arranged to set out all their lands in
fruit trees, etc, the first year Consequently
in this, the first season, some 4O. 600 trees and
between 10000 and 10000 vines will ba
pIRnreo.
The satisfactory working OF this scheme has
mad the effect of attracting considerable ut.
tentton to the work of the Colony Companv
81 #
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 as for the beautiful valley in
which their operations are conducted. How
this marvellous little garden has come to be so
long neglected is a puzzle to every one who
has visited it, but one thing is very sure. and
that is that this neglect will never again ba
felt in the valley
The fruits set out are mostly of the standard
var1eties-peaches, apricots, Bartlett pears
prunes, hgs, raisin grapes etc. while along
both sides of the avenues, throughout tha
tract, walnuts will throw their graceful shade
A considerable number OF citrus trees are also
being set out; quite a sufficient number tn
demonstrate that these fruits can be success
fully grown in the valley about which the
eolonists appear to have no doubt, provided
proper care is given to the young trees Nesl
resides on the tract, and to his care is to be as
cr1bed much of the success of the ventura
mentlon should be made of the town-sfte
ABOUT which there is pleasant innovation
which might with profit be followed by mora
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 1t from time to time as many
of the beauties and curiosities of tree and
shrub life as may be obtained by diligent
search and wise expenditure of money. II
is not expected that Tancred will ever be a
large and busy city, but it is thought that il
can be made a very pleasant little place to
dwell In.
A 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 q bridge across
Cache Creek at this point, in order to give the
settlers on the east side of the creek access to .
Tancred Station. The Tancred colonists are
quite willing to give the necessary right CT
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, as the operations OF such COM
panies are or widespread benefit to the whole
county and State The attractions and COM
forts of the cities are we'll 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
Rntly, every inducement should be held forth
The following is a list OF the principal MEN,
bers Of the Tancred Colony with the number
of acres owned By each, and q fact worthy of
mention is that in each contract or decd is-
sued by the Colony Company there is g pro-
vision that no Intoxicating liquor shall ever
be manufactured or sold on the land The ap.
parent success OF the enterprise shows that
the ideas and plans of the colony, as set forth
in the prospectus some time ago, are not i'm.
practicable: G. I. Hull Berkeley, acres: w,
2. Harmon, Oakland, IA acres; @. s. Kasson,
San Francisco, acres; Jos. Barker o acres;
A. w. Kelly, Kincardine, Ont, acres; ". T..
Greathead, 5 acres; r. G.. Greathead, Oakland
10 acres; II. A. Barker, san Francisco 10
acres; n. D. Barker, Tancred, 10 acres; DIR. K
Favor, San Francisco, 27 acres; j. p. Brownlee
Kincardine, Ont, acres; w. T. Barnett
Berkeley, acres; NJ. p. Brown, 10 acres;
Chas. Brook, ST., Oakland, 10 acres; w. G.
Boutclle, Berkeley, 20 acres; Mrs. L. A. Crelin,
Oakland, acres; G. H. Peach, Tancred, 5
acres; III. c. Ellis Oakland, 10 acres; ]. Van,
stone, Winnipeg, 10 acres; E. A. Vanstone,
Taucred, 8 acres; e Wadsworth, Sacramento,
5 acres; NJ. A. Thomas, Oak land 6 acres;
James Graham, San Francisco, II acres; 4,
Stark, 12 acres; ]. Stark, / o acres; Mrs M,
Vrooman, 5 acres; G. e. Shook, 10 acres; G.,
7. Greathead, 12 acres; VIM. Mckay, 5 acres;
Mrs. VIM. Mckay, Oakland, 5 acres; Mrs L
C. Wooley, Brooklyn, n. ", 10 acres: Mrs H