The record-union., 1891-02-23
4 CAPAY COLONY.
Busy Fruit Growers in Pretty
Yolo Valley-Tancred and Its
Adjoining Farms.

IN THE SPRING OF LAST YEAR
Robert A. and Neal D. Barker associated
themselves with William Mckay, all of Oak
land, with a view OF searching out a suitable.
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
| question. With w. H. Mills, the General
Agent of that company, they arranged for the
purchase of about 22O 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 it, with the result
that the tract was divided among the follow
| ing people: B. L. Hickok, 40 acres; w. T.
Barnett, 20 acres; N. I. Greathead go acres;
Mrs l.. Greathead, 20 acres; w. Mckay, 20
acres; N ID. 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 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" Then followed the idea of a stock
company to take hold of larger tract and
arrange for the cultivation of the whole of it,
after subdividmg it according to the re-
| quirements of.the subscribers A provisional
board was formed, q prospectus issued, and
nnally, on the 5th of Juue, 1890, the West
| ern Cooperative Colonization and Improve
ment Company was duly registered and pro-
ceeded to business, with the following officers:
President, William Mckay; Vice-President.
| M. L. Brown. Directors-H. G. Ellis Charles
Brooke and r. A. Barker; Secretary and Cen
eral Manager, Neal D. Barker; Solicitor. C. E.
| Shook; Treasurer, First National Bank of
\ Oakland.
The balance of the tract, 373 acres, was pur-
chased. A 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 doublinely
have 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 &c, 900 trees and
between 10000 and 10000 vines will be
| planted.
The satisfactory working of this scheme has
| had the effect of attracting considerable atten-
| ton to the work of the Colony Company. and
number of people are now desirous of Join
ing 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 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 pears,
/ prunes, figs, raisin grapes, ETC., while along
! both sides of the avenues, throughout the
tract, walnuts will throw their graceful shade
| A considerable number of citrus trees are also
being set out; quite a 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
ID. Barker, General Manager of the company
resides on the tract, and to his care is to be as
| cribed much of the success of the venture
| Mention should be made of the to1yn-site
about which there is a 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
| by planting in it 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. It
| is not expected that Tancred will ever be az
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, asking the county TO ac-
cept Island avenue, on the colony tract as a..
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 are,
quite willing to give the necessary right of
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 q 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 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 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
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: G. TT.
Hull, Berkeley, 5 acres; w. z. Harmon. Oak
land. Id acres; G. S. Kasson, San Francisco
IL acres; Jos. Barker, % acres; a. w Kelly
Kincardine, Ont, 8 acres; n. T. Greathead. 5
| acres; r. G. Greathead, Oakland, 10 acres: r.
A. Barker, San Francisco, 10 acres: N d. Bar
ker, Tancred 10 acres; DIR. K Favor San
Francisco, 27 acres; j. P. BrownIee. Kincar-
dine Ont, acres; w. T. Barnett. Berkeley 5
acres; M. 7. Brown, 10 acres; Chas. Brook, Sr,
Oakland, 10 acres; w. G.. Boutelle, Berkeley,
20 acres; Mrs. T. A. Crelin, Oakland, 5 acres;
u II. Feach, 1ancred, . acres; III. c. Ellis, Oak
land, 10 acres; ]. Vanstone Winnipeg, 10
acres; e. A. Vanstone, Tanered, acres; e.
Wadsworth, Sacramento, 8 acres; Nj. A.
Thomas, Oakland, 6 acres James Graham,
San Francisco IL acres; A. Stark, 12 acres;
j. Stark, 10 acres; Mrs.M. Vrooman, acres;
o. b. Snook, 10 acres; G. L. Greathead, II
acres; VIM. Mckay ) acres; Mrs. Wm- Mckay,
Oakland, 5 acres; Mrs. E. G. Wooley, Brook
/ lyn, \. Y, 10 acres; Mrs. II. Beckley, Oakland,