The record-union., 1891-05-17
A CAPAY COLONY,
Busy Fruit Growers in Pretty
YolO Valley-Tancred and Its
Adjoining Farms.

TN THE SPRING OF LAST YEAR
Robert a. and Neal D. Barker associated
themselves with William Mckay, all OF Oak.
iahd' with view OF searching out suitabl
| location in which TO engage in the profitable
occupation OF fruit-growing. 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
J question. With w. H. Mills. the General
Agent OF that company, they arranged for the
purchase of about eco acres of foothIn land.
This being more than they had thought OF
taking for their own use, they spoke TO a
number of friends about II, with the result
that the tract was divided among the follow
ing people: B. l.. Hickok, 40 acres; w. t.
Barnett, go acres; n. I. GrcatheaG. 20 acres:
Mrs. l.. Greathead. 90 acres; w. Mckay, go
| acres; n. d. Barker, go acres; II. A Barker,
20 acres; ]. p Brownlee, 90 acres; e. H. Has
lett, 10 acres; Joseph Barker, 10 acres; A. w.
Kelly, 10 acres, and Frederick Kelly, 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
| already purchased, IL was found that so many
| more would like to join than the area 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 wayF"
Then followed the idea of stock company to
take hold of larger tract and arrange for the
cultivation of the who!eofi 1t, after subdividing
1t 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 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
r. A. Barker; Secretary and General Manage
Neal d. Barker; Solicitor, G. E. Snook; Treas
! urer, First National Bank of Oakland
The balance of the tract, 379 acres, was pur-
chased. contract was entered into for the
purchase OF a 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 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 doubtinlyg
| 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 10000 trees
and between 10000 and $4,000 vines will be
planted.
! 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 goo
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 puzzle TO every one who
| has visited 1t, 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 pears,
| prunes, 1gs, raisin grapes, etc, while along
both sides of the avenues, throughout the
| tract, walnuts will throw their grateful shade.
| A considerable number of citrus trees are also
demonstrate that these fruits can be success
| fully grown in the valley, about which the
colonists appear to have no doubt provided
| proper care is given to the young trees. Neal
| ID. 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 town-site
| about which there is q pleasant innovation
which might with profit be followed by more
a T0l0 NCoks
| acres has been laid out right in the center OF
the town. This park It is proposed to beautify
by planting in ii rom time to time as many
of the beauties and curiosities OF tree and
shrub life as may be obtained by diligeut
search and q wise expenditure of money. 1t
is not expected that Tancred will ever be q
large and busy city, but it is thought that it
can be made very pleasant little place to
dwell in.
a petition has been circulated recently and
very largely signed, dsking the county to ac-
cept Island avenue, on tho colony tract as q
county road, ana to build a 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 desirous Of having bridge
there, as the colony lands extend along both
sides of the stream. 1t is thought that Is
money to grant them this very necessary i'm
provement, as the operations OF such CON-
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 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 decd 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: q. T. Hull, Berkeley, 5 acres; w.
p Hammond, Oakland, 4 acres; C. s. Kas-
son, San Francisco, II acres; JOS Barker, 10
acres; a. w. Kelly, Ktncardine, Ont, acres;
n. T. Greathead, 5 acres; r. G. Greathead,
Oakland, 10 acres: r. A. Barker San Fran
cisco, 10 acres; N d. Barker Tancred, 10
acres; DR.. X. Favor, San Francisco, 27 acres;
]. p. BrownIee, Kincardine, Ont, acres; w.
II. Barnett, Berkeley, acres; NJ. P. Brown,
10 acres; Chas Brook Sr., Oakland, 10 acres;
w. G. Boutelle, Berkeley, 20 acres; Mrs. Il.
A. Crellin, oakland acres; c. H Peach,
Tancred, acres; H. c. Ellis, Oakland, 10 acres;
j. Vanstone, Winnipeg, 10 acres; Z. A. Van
stone, Tancred, 5 acres; L. Wadsworth, Sac.
ramento, 5 acres; M. y. Thomas, Oakland, G
acres; James Graham, San Francisco, IL
acres; \. Stark, IL acres; j. Stark, 10 acres;
Mrs. Nj. Vrooman, acres; g. E. Shook, 10
acres; c. I. Greathead, 12 acres; VIM. Nc
Kay, acres; Mrs. VIM. Mckay, Oakland, 5
mn ~ NJ N