The record-union., 1891-05-05
A CAPAY COLONY.
Busy Fruit it-GrOwers in a Pretty
YOlo Valley-Tancred and Its
Adjoining Farms,

= Robert A. and Neal d. Barker associated
themselves with William Mckay, all of Oak
land, with view of searching out n suitable
| location in which to engage in the profitable
occupation OF fruit-growng. After visiting
many localities, they decided on the Capay
Valley, Yolo County, and the Rhodes tract
| at Tancred
Negotiations were opened with the Capay
Valley Land Company, owning the tract In
question. With w. H. Mills, tho General
Agent of that company, they arranged for the
purchase of about 22o acres of foothil lane.
This being more than they had thought OF
| taking for their own USE they spoke 10 q
number OF friends about 1t, with the result
that the tract was divided among the follow
ing people: b. L. Hicl1ok, 40 acres; W.T..
| Barnett, 90 acres; n. T. Greatnead 90 acres;
Mrs. /. Greathead 20 acres; w Mckay, 30
acres; n. d. Barker, 90 acres; r. "A. Barker,
/ 20 acres; j. P. Brownlee, 20 acres; E. H Has
lett, 10 acres; Joseph Barker, 10 acres; A. w.
Kelly, 10 acres, and Frederick Kelly, 10 acres.
| So far this had been merely a private ven
ture of the gentlemen above named but in
talking up the question of dividing the land
!
more would like to join it than thearea of the
purchase would admit of, that it was sug-
gested on all hands, "Why not get some more
land and divide it up In the same way?"
Then followed the idea of q stock company to
| take hold of larger tract and arrange for the
cultivation Of the whole of it., after subdividing
1t according to the requirements of the sub
| 4
prospectus issued, and finally, on the 9Th of
June, 1890 the Western Cooperative Col
onization and improvement Company was
duly registered and proceeded TO business,
with the following officers; President, Will
| lam Mckay; Vice-President Nj. p. Brown;
Directors-H. G. Ellis, Charles Brooke and
h A. Barker; Secretary and General Managess
Neal d. Barker; Solicitor. c. L. Shook; Treas
| urer, First National Bank of Oakland.
| The balance of the tract, 8 20 acres was pur-
! chased. contract was entered into for tho
| purchase of Il large number of fruit trees
vines, etc. This early purchase of trees was
| the means of saving between S3 900 and
| $4,000 to the company, the prices in 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 il doubtinlyg
have become enthusiastic, and almost all the
members arranged to set oytt all their lands in
fruit trees, etc, the first year. Consequently
| in this, the first season, some 10000 trees
and between 10000 and 10000 vines will be
/ planted.
The satisfactory working'o of this scheme has
had the effect of attracting considerable at
tention to the work of the Colony Company
. and n of npOpIe ara now daSiro,,e 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, 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 be
felt in the valley.
The fruits set out are mostly of the standard
varieties-peaches, apricots, Bartlett pearss
| pruneS, figs, rasin grapes etc, while along
! both sides of the avenues, throughout the
| tract, walnuts win throw their grateful shade
| A considerable number of citrus trees are also
| being set out; quite sufficient number to
| demonstrate that these fruits can be success
/ fully grown in the valley, about which the
(. colonists appear to have no doubt, provided
/ >
D. Barker, General Manager of the company,
resides on the tract, and to his care is to be
| ascribed much of the success of the venture.
| Mention should be made of the towu-site
| about which there is u pleasant innovation
! which might with profit be followed by more
ambitious places. y 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 hpOntipG of tran nd
| shrub life as may be obtained by diligent
| search and wise expenditure of money. Il
| is not expected that Tancred will ever be
| large and busy city, but it is thought that 1t
can be made very pleasant little place to
| dwell In.
! A petition has been circulated recently aud
| very largely signed, asking the county to &c
cept Island avenue on the colony tract, rs "a
| county road ana to build 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 of
way, and are very deSrous of having bridge
/ there, Us the colony lands extend along both
! sides of the stream 1t is thought that IL
/ would be a very wise expenditure of public
money to grant them this very necessary i'm
| provement, as the operations of such conn
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
pleasantly, 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 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 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: c. 7. Hull, Berkeley, 8 acres; W.
! z. Hammond, Oakland, II acres; C. 5. Kas-
son, San Francisco, I acres; JOS. Barker, 10
acres; a. w. Kelly, Kincardinc, Ont acres;
| n. I. Greathead, 5 acres; II. G.. Grcathead
| Oakland, 10 acres: r. y. Barker, San Fran
| cisco, 10 acres; n. D. Barker, Tancred, 10
| acres; DIR. X. Favor, San Francisco, 81 acres;
| J. p. Brownlee, Kincardine, Ont, 9 acres; w.
! T. Barnett Berkeley, acres; NJ. p. Brown,
! 10 acres; Chas. Brook, Sr., Oakland, 10 acres;
| w C. Boutelle, Berkeley, 20 acres; Mrs. T.
! A.. Crelin, Oakland, 5 acres; c. ii. Peach,
Tancred, 5 acres; II. c. Ellis, Oakland, 10 acres;
| j. Vanstone, Winnipeg, 10 acres; L. a. Van
stone, Tancred, acres; E. Wadsworth Sac
| ramento, acres; NJ. 4. Thomas Oakland G
| acres; James Graham, San Francisco, IL
| acres; A. Stark, 12 acres; j. Stark, 10 acres;
| Mrs. NJ. Vroonan, acres; G. f. Shook, 10
acres; @. T. Greathead, II acres; VIM. Nc
Kay, acres; Mrs VIM. Mckay, Oakland s
acres; Mrs. E. G. Wooley, Brooklyn, n. Y, 10
acres; Mrs. II. Beckiey, Oakland, 5 acres; 7.