The record-union., 1891-11-19
4 CAPAY COLONY,
Busy Fruit-Growers in a Pretty
YOlO Valley-Tancred and Its
Adjoining Farms.

IN THE SPRING OF LAST YEAR
Robert A. and Neal Z. Barker associated
! themselves with William Mckay. all Of Oak.
land, with view of searching out q suitah,a
location In which TO engage in the proftabls
occupation of fuit-.rowing. After visiting
many localities, they decided on the Capsv
eoley' Holo County, and the Rhodes tract at
Taucred
Negotiations were opened with the Capay
alley Land Company, owning the tract in
qlestlon. With w. II. Mills, the Genera.
! Agent of that company, t}ey arranged for tina
purchase OF about ego acres Of foothill land
Iris being more than they had thought OF
! taking for their own use, they spoke to a
number of friends about il, with tho resuIt
that the tract was divided among the follovz.
/ ing people: B. L. Rickok, 40 acres. VT
| Earnett, 90 acres; N. I. Greathead. 90 acre=.
Mrs l.. Greathead, go acres; w. Mckay %
| acres; n D. Barker, 20 acres; r. A. Barker.
20 acres; j. P. Brownlee, 20 acres; E. II. Has.
ie0t' 10 acres; Joseph Barker, 10 acres; A. w,
! Kelly 10 acres, and Frederick Kelly, 10 acres,
80 lar this had been merely a private yena
ture OF the gentlemen above named. but in
/ taIking 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 sug-
gested on all hands, "Why not get some mora
! land and divide it up in the same wayq"
/ Then followed the idea of stock company to
take hold of a larger tract and arrange for the
cultivation of the whole of it, after subdividino
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 Cooperative Col
onization and Improvement Company was
duly registered and proceeded TO business.
with tne following officers President. Will
lam Mckay; Vice-President M. P. Brown.
Direetors-H. C. 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. was mr..
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
| S4'ooo 10 the company, the prices in soma
| 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 unfnter.
/ rupted. Those who went into il doubtiurIv
have become enthusiastic, and almost all the
| members arranged to set out all their lands in
! fru1t trees, ETC., the first year. Consequently
in this, the first season, some 40. 600 trees and
between 10000 and 10000 vines win be
pTsnueo.
Ihe satisfactory working OF this scheme has
had the effect of attracting considerable at
| tention to the work of the Colony Company.
end a number of people are now desirons of
! joining IN with them. An additional 200
acres have been added to the sixty acres
originally purchased.
For the company is predicted a very BRIGHT
future, as well as for the beautiful valley i'm
which their operations are conducted How
| this marvellous little garden has come to he so
! long neglected is q 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
| Yarleties-peaches, apricots Bartlett pears
| prunes, figs, raisin grapes etc. while alons
ooth sides of the avenues, throughout tbs
| tract, walnuts will throw their graceful shade
| a considerable number of citrus trees are also
being set out; quite q sufficient number tn
demonstrate that these fruits can be succesz
/ 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 companv
resloes on the tract, and to his care is to be as
J CI4pSu ulucu Ol Inc success OF the venture
Mention should be made of the town-site
| about which there is please at 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 beautlfv
! by planting in it from time to time as many
/ of the beauties and cUriosities of tree ana
shrub life as may be obtained by diIigent
search and a wise expenditure of money II
is not expected that Tancred win ever he a
4 large and busy city, but 1t is thought that II
/ can be made very pleasant little place to
/ dwell in
/ A petition has been circulated recentlvand
/ very largely signed, asking the county to ac-
/ cept Island avenue, on the colony tract, as a
county read, and to build q bridge across
/ Cache Creek ut this point in order to give the
settlers on t!1c east side of the creek access To
Tancred Station. The Tancred coloilists arc
( quite willing to give the necessary right OF
1 way, and are very desirous of having q bridge
/ there, as the colony lands extend along both
/ sides Of the stream. 1t Is thought that It
/ would be O very wise expenditure of public
money to grant them this very necessary inn
/ provement as the operations OF such COM
/ panies are of widespread benefit to the whola
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.
The following is q list of the principal men,
bers OF the Tancrcd Colony, with the number
/ Of acres owned by each, and q TACT 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
j the ideas and plans of the colony, as set forth
! in the prospectus some time ago. are not i'm.
! practicable: C. T. Hull, Berkeley, 5 acres; w,
p. Harmon, Oakland, Id acres; @. s. Kasson,
/ San Francisco, II acres; Jos. Barker. 10 acres;
/ A. w Kelly, Kincardine, Ont, 5 acres; N. Il.
/ Greathead, 5 acres; r. CT. Greathead Oakland
/ 10 acres; r. a. Barker, San Francisco 10
acres; N. d. Barker, Tancred, 10 acres; DR.. K.
/ Favor, san Francisco, 27 acres; T. P. Brownies.
/ Kincardine, Ont, acres; w. 7. Barnett
! Berkeley, 5 acres; NJ p. Brown, 10 acres:
4 Chas. Brook Sr., Oakland, 10 acres; w. C.
/ Boutelle, Berkeley, 20 acres; Mrs. T. A. CreIin,
I Oakland, 5 acres; G. II. Peach, Tancred. 5
+ acres; n. G. Ellis, Oakland, 10 acres; J. Van.
+ stone, winnipeg, 10 acres; e. A. Vanstone.
1 Tancred, 5 acres; e. Wadsworth, Sacramento,
4 5 acres; NJ. a. Thomas, Oakland 6 acres;
i James Graham, San Francisco, II acres; A.
Stark, IL acres; j. Stark, 10 acres; Mrs III,
Z Vrooman, 5 acres; @. e. Snool1, 10 acres: c.
4 Z. .Greathead, IL acres; WIn. Mckay, 8 acres;
4 Mrs VIM Mckay, Oakland. 5 acres; Mrs T
4 c. Wooley, Brooklyn, Y. Y, 10 acres; Mrs II.
BeckIey, oakland 5 acres; Il. a. Marriott 5
acres J. G. Harrison. Tancred, 5 acres Tho
land reserved by tho Colony CoInpanv I'm,