The record-union., 1891-08-18
A CAPAY COLONY,
Busy FruitGrowers in a Pretty
Yolo Valley-Tancred and Its
Adjoining Farms.

THE SPRING OF LAST YEAR
Robert 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 tho profItabIs
occupation of fruitgrowing. After visiting
many localities, they decided on the Capav
valley, Iolo County, and the Rhodes tract az
Tancred.
Negotiations were opened with the Capay
alley Land Company, owning the tract in
question With w. II. Mills, the General
Agent of that company, they arranged for the
purchase of about 22o acres of foothin land
iris being more than they had thought Of
taxing for their own use, they spoke TO a
number of friends aboutIit, with the result
that the tract was divided among the follow.
ing people: b. l.. Hickok 40 acres: w. T.
Earnett, 20 acres; N. t. Greathead, 90 acres;
Mrs. L. Greathead, 90 acres; w. Mckay, 20
acres; N. D. Barker, 20 acres; r. A. Barker.
! 20 acres; j. p. BrownIee 20 acres; e. II. Has.
| lett 10 acres; Joseph Barker, 10 acres; A. w.
Kelly 10 acres, and Frederick Kelly, 1 O 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, 1t was found that so many
more would like to join it than the area of the
! purchase would admit of, that il was sur
! gested 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 subdiyidins
| 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. 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 pur.
| chased. a contract was entered into for tho
! 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 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 first season, some &c, 900 trees and
between 10000 and 10000 vines will be
| planted.
The satisfactory working of this scheme has
| mad the effect of attracting considerable at
| tention to the work of the Colony Company
! ana number of people are now desirous OF
joining in with them. An additional 900
| acres have been added to the sixty acres
| originally purchased.
| For the company is predicted n 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
| neutrality-suspicious., apricots, Bartlett pears
| prunes figs, raisin grapes, etc, while along
| both sides of the avenues, throughout the
| tract, walnutS will throw their graceful shade
| considerableLnumber of citrus trees are also
! being set out; quite o sufficient number to
II
fully grown in the valley, about which the
| colonists appear to have no doubt provided
proper care is given 20 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 a pleasant innovation
which might with profit be followed by moro
| 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 diIigent
search and q wise expenditure OF money It
is not expected that Tancrod will over DO n
| 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 q
county road, and to build u bridge across
Cache Creek at this point, in order TO give the
settlers on the cast 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 a bridge
there, as the colony lands extend along both
sides Of the stream. 1t is thought that 1t
would be very wise expenditure OF public
money to grant them this very necessary i'm
provement, as the operations OF such COM
panes are of widespread benefit to the whole
county and State The attractions and COM
forts of the cities are we'll 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
Rntly, every inducement should be held forth.
The following is 81 list OF the principal MEM
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 q 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 some time ago, are not i'm.
practicable: c. T. Hull, Berkeley, acres; w.
p Harmon, Oakland, Ii acres; @. S. KaSson,
San Francisco, IL acres; JOS. Barker ! 0 acres;
! a. w. Kelly KIncardine, Ont, acres; n. I.
GreathCad, 5 acres; Il. G. Greathead Oakland
10 acres; II. A. Barker, San Francisco, 10
acres; y. D. Barker, Tancred, 10 acres: DR.. X
Favor, San Francisco, ~ acres; j. p. Brownlee
Kincardine, Ont, 0 acres; w. T. Barnett
Berkeley. acres; H. p. Brown, 10 acres
: Chas. Brook, ST., Oakland, 10 acres; w. @
Boutelle, Berkeley, 30 acres; Mrs. T. A. Crelin
Oakland, 5 acres; C. II. Peach, Tancred, ]
acres II. G. Ellis, Oakland, 10 acres; j. Van
? stone, Winnipeg, 10 acres; r. A. Vanstope
= Tancred, 5 acres; e. Wadswortll Sacramento
5 acres; NJ. a. Thomas, Oakland, acres
James Graham, San francisco II acres; A
: Stark, II acres; j. Stark, 10 acres; Mrs. Nj
: Vrooman, acres; G. Il. Shook, 10 acres; C.
: T. Greathead, 12 acres; VIM. Mckay, 5 acres
Mrs VIM. Mckay, Oakland, 8 acres; Mrs. j.
G. Wooley Brooklyn, n. Y, 10 acres; Mrs. Il
Beckley, Oakland, 5 acres; I. ~ Marriott, :
acres: j. C. Harrison Taucred 3 acres. Tbs