The record-union., 1891-11-16
A CAPAY COLONY,
Busy Fruit-GGOwers in a Pretty
Yolo Valley-Tancred and Its
Adjoining Farms

IN THE SPRING OF LAST YEAH
- Robsrt A. and Neal d. Barker associated
themselves with William Mckay. all of Oak.
land, with view OF searching out a suitable
location IN which TO engage in the proitabIa
occupation of fruit-growing. After visiting
many localities, they decided on the Capav
Valley, Yolo County, and the Rhodes tract at
TGncrea.
negotiations were opened with the CapaV
aliey Land Company owning the tract In
qiestlon. With w H. Mills, the General
agent of that company, they arranged for tho
purchase of about 22o acres of foothtu 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 results
tnat the tract was divided among the follow
ing people; B. L. Rickok, 40 acres; W.T..
Barnett, 90 acres; N. II. Greathead, 20 acres:
Mrs. L. Greathead, 20 acres; w. Mckay %
acres; N d. Barker, 90 acres; r. A. Barker
20 acres; j. P. Brownlee, 90 acres; E. H. Has,
lett, 10 acres; Joseph Barker, 10 acres; A. w,
Kelly 10 acres, and Frederick Kelly. 10 acres.
30 far this had been merely a private yena
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 ths
purchase would admit of, that IL was sug.
gested on all hands, "Why not get some mora
land and divide it up in the same way?D
Then followed the idea of a stock company to
take hold of larger tract and arrange for tho
cultivation OF the whole of it, after subdiyiding
II 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 .ne following officers: President, Will
| lam Mckay: Vice-President, NJ. p. Brown.
oirectors-H. q. Ellis, Charles Brooke and
K A. Barker; Secretary and General Manager,
Neal ID. Barker; Solicitor C. L. Shook; Treas.
urer, First National Bank of Oakland.
Ihe balance of the tract, 373 acres was DUR.
! chased. Il contract entered into for the
| purchase OF large number of fruit trees
| vines ETC. This early purchase OF trees was
tne 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 tho
| progress OF the company has been uninter-
/ rupted. Those who went into it doubtingly
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 arst season, some 40, 600 trees and
between 10000 and 10000 vines will be
! pTsnyeo.
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
IN in unit
| acres have been added to the sixty acres
! originally purchased.
for the company is predicted very bright
| future, as well 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 ba
/ felt in the valley
| Ihe fruits set out are mostly of the standard
! var1eties-peaches, apricots, Bartlett pears.
| prunes, figs, raisin grapes, ETC.. while along
! ooth SIDES OF the avenues, throughout the
| tract, walnuts will throw their graceful shade
! 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
| proper care is given to the young trees Neal
d. 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 town-site
! ABOUT which there is pleasant 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 beautify
| by planting in 1t from time to time as many
of the beauties and curiosities of tree and
shrub life as may be obtained by dilipent
! search and wise expenditure OF money. It
| is not expected that Tancred will ever be a
! large and busy city, bat 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
i county road, and TO build o bridge across
1 Cache Creek Rt this point, IN order to give the
/ settlers on the east side of the creek access to
Tancred Station. The Tancred colonIsts ara
| quite willing 10 give the necessary right Of
way, ond are very desirous Of having a bridge
| there as the colony lands extend along both
/ sides OF the stream. 1t is thought that it
| would be very wise expenditure of public
money to grant them this very necessary i'm
! provcmeat, as the operations Of such COM
panies arc of widespread benefit to the whole
county and State. The attractions and CON-
forts or the cities are we'll known, but to those
! who are willing to settle on Inc land and show
/ that TIE country also affords attractions and
! comforts ana ways OF making money pleas
! antly, every iEducement should be held forth.
The following is list of the principal menu
! bers OF the Tancred Colony, with the number
OF acres owned by each and a 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 o the enterprise shows that
the ideas and plans OF the colony, as set forth
in the prospectus como time ago, ere not i'm.
practicable: G. I. Hull, Berkeley, acres; W.
/ p. Harmon, Oakland, IA acres; O. S. Kassou,
San Francisco, 1 acres Jos. Barker, Il acres;
| A w. Kelly, Kiacardine, Ont, acres; ". Il.
| Creathead, 9 acres; r. G. Greathead Oakland
| 10 acres; r. A, Barker, San Francisco, 10
| acres n. d. Barker Tancred, 10 acres DR.. K.
| Favor, San Francisco, % acres; J. Z. Brownlee.
! Eincardtne, Ont, Q acres; W. T. Barnett,
Berkeley, acres; NJ. p. Brown, 10 acres;
/ Chas. Brook, Sr., Oakland, 10 acres; W. c..
Boutelle, Berkeley, 20 acres; Mrs. I. A. Crein,
! Oakland, 3 acres; G. Ii. Peach, Tanered .
| acres H. c. Ellis Oakland, 10 acres; j. Van.
stone, Winnipeg, 10 acres; Il. A. Vanstone,
! Tancred, 8 acres; l.. WadsYorth, Sacramento,
! o acres; M. A. Thomas, Oakland, 6 acres;
4 James Graham, san francisco, II acres; A.
| Stark, IL acres; ]. Stark, 10 acres; Mrs. NJ.
{! Il. Greathead 2 acres; VIM. Mckay, 3 acres;
f! Mrs VIM Mckay, Oakland, 8 acres; Mrs. Z.
/ c. Wooley, Brooklyn, n. Y, % acres; Mrs Fl.
I Beekley, Oakland, acres; L. A. Marriott,
acres; ]. C. Harrison, Tancred, 3 acres. Tha
/ land reserved by the Colony Company, tns
dipgelu toWrsite, consists of 81 acres.
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