The record-union., 1891-02-21
A CAPAY COLONY.
Busy Fruit Growers in a Pretty
Yolo Valley-Tancred and It's
Adjoining Farms.

TN THE SPRING OF LAST YEAR
Robert A. and Neal ID. Barker associated
themselves with William Mckay. all of Oak
land, with Il view OF searching out a suitable
location in which to engage In the profitable
occupation of fruitgrowing. After visiting
many localities, they decided On the Capay
Valley, Yolo County, and the Rhodes tract al
| Tancred
| Negotiations were opened with the Capay
Valley Land Company, owning the tract in
| question. With w. II. Mills, the General
Agent OF that company, they arranged for the
purchase of about ego acres of foothin land
This being more than they had thought OF
! taxing for their own use, they spoke to q
number of friends about it, with the result
that the tract was divided among the follow.
ing people: d. l.. Hickok, 40 acres; w. L.
| Barnett, 20 acres; N. 7. Greathead, 20 acres;
Mrs. L. Greathead, 20 acres; w. Mckay, go
| acres; N. d. Barker, 20 acres; r. A. Barker.
20 acres; ]. P. Brownlee, go acres; E. II. 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 already purchased, it was found that so
many more would like to join it than the
| area of the purchase would admit Of that it
was suggested on all hands, "Why not get
some more land and divide it up in the same
way 9o Then followed tho idao Of n e+,o,-
| company to take hold of a larger tract and
arrange Tor the cultivation of the whole OF it,
after subdividlng it according to the re-
quirements of the subscribers. A provisional
board was formed, a prospectus issued, and
finally, on the 9th of Juue, 1890, the West
ern Cooperative Colonization and Improve
lneht company was duly registered and pro-
ceeced TO business, with the following officers.
PRESIDENT, William Mckay; Vice-President.
NJ. Z. Brown. Directors-H. c. Ellis. Charles
Brooke and Il. A. Barker; Secretary and Cen
eral Manager, Neal D. Barker; Solicitor. C. e
Snook; treasurer, First National Bank of
Oakland.
The balance of the tract, 1913 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
S,Ol
$4,000 to the company, the prices in some
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 doubtinrlv
nave become enthusiastic, and almost all the
members arranged to set out all their land in
fruit trees, etc, the first year. Consequently
IN this, the first season, some 4O, 900 trees and
between 10000 and 10000 vines will be
planted.
Inc satisfactory working of this scheme has
mad the effect of attracting considerable atten-
uon 10 the work of the Colony Company, and
number of people are now desirous of ioin-
ing IN with them. An additional 900 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
whlch their operations are conducted How
TINS marvellous little garden has come to be so
iohg neglected is q puzzle to every one who
mas visited 1t, but one thing is very sure. and
that is that this neglect will never again he
felt in the valley.
Ihe fruits set out are mostly of the standard
Var1eues-peaches, apricots, Bartlett pears.
prunes, 1gs, raisin grapes, etc, while along
poth sldes OF the avenues, throughout the
tract, Wainuts Will throw their graceful shade
considerable number of citrus trees are also
being set out; quite q 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
proper care is given to the young trees. Neal
u. Barker, General Manager of the company.
resides on the tract, and to his care is to be as
crlbed 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
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
py 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 ar
cept Island avenue, on the colony tract, as n
county road, and 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 arc
quite willing to give the necessary right of
way, and are very desirous OF having a bridge
there, as the colony lands extend along both
sides OF the stream. It is thought that it
would be very wise expenditure of public
money 10 grant them this very necessary i'm
provement as 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 ana 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 n fact worthy of
mention is that in each contract or deed is
sued by the Colony Company there is a pro-
vision tnat no intoxicating liquor shah ever
be manufactured or sold on the land The
apparent success of the enterprise shows
that the ideas and plans of the COL
ony, as set forth in the prospectus some
time ago, are not impracticable: C. T.
Hull, Berkeley, acres; w. 2. Harmon. Oak
land, Id acres; c. S. Kasson, San Francisco
IL acres; Jos. Barker, 10 acres; A. w. Kelly
klncard1ne, Ont, acres n. I. Greathead :
acres; H. &. Greathead, Oakland, 10 acres: r
A. Barker, San Francisco, 10 acres: N d Par
ker, Tancred, 10 acres; Dr. K. Favor San
Francisco. 27 acres; J. P. Brownlee. Kincar.
dine. Ont, 8 acres; W. T. Barnett. Berkeley <
acres; M. P. Brown, 0 acres; Chas. Brook Sr
Oakland, 10 acres; w. c. Boutelle, Berkeley
20 acres; Mrs T. a. Crelin, Oakland s acres.
G. ID. Peach, Tancred, 5 acres; H c. Ellis. Oak
land, 10 acres; ]. Vanstone Winnipee. 10
acres; K. a. Vanstone, Tancred. 5 acres. r
Wadsworth, Sacramento, acres: M. A.
=. Ihonas, Oakland, 6 acres; James Graham,
c..