The record-union., 1891-10-23
A CAPAY COLONY,
Busy Fruit-GqOwers in a Pretty
YOlo Valley-Tancred and Its
Adjoining Farms

! IN THE SPRING OF LAST YFAH
robert A and Neal d. Barker associated
| themselves with William Mckay, all OF Oak.
iand with view of searching out a suitable
looaIion 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 az
| Tancred
negotiations were opened with the Capay
aliey Land Company, owning the tract in
qlestion. With w. II. Mills, the General
! agent of that company, they arranged for tha
purchase of about 22o acres OF foothin land
This being more than they had thought Of
taxing for their own use they smoke to =
number of friends about it, with the resuls
that the tract was divided among the folloyV.
ing people: b. L. Rickok, 10 acres: w. IT
Earnett, 20 acres; N. T. Greathead, go acreE
Mrs Il. Greathead, 90 acres; W. Mckay, 90
acres; N ID. Barker, 90 acres; r. A. Barker.
20 Scres; ]. P. Brownlee. 90 acres; E. II. Has
lett, 10 acres; Joseph Barker, 10 acres. A. w.
Kelly 10 acres, and Frederick Kelly. / 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, it was found that so MANY
more would like to join it than the area OF thu
| 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 wavqs
Then followed the idea of stock connpanvto
take hold of larger tract and arrange for tho
cultivation OF the whole OF it, after subdivfdfng
ltaccordirg II to the requirements OF the sub
| scrioers. 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. VIII.
iem Mckay; Vice-President, NJ. P. Brown;
Dlrectors-H. G. Ellis, Charles Brooke and
r. A. Barker; Secretary and General Manager,
Neal d. Barker; Solicitor. c. E. Shook; Treas.
urer, First National Bank of Oakland.
The balance the tract, 373 acres, was pun
! chased contract was entered into for the
! purchase OF large number of mutt 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.
have become enthusiastic, and almost aI the
members arranged to set out all their lands in
fruit trees, etc. the first year. Consequently
in this the first season, some 4o, 600 trees and
between 10000 and 10000 vines will ha
pIanred.
The satisfactory working OF this scheme has
had 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 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 ba
felt in the valley.
The fruits set out are mostly of the standard
Vafleues-peaches, apricots, Bartlett pears,
prunes, hSs, raisin grapes, etc, while along
both sides of the avenues, throughout tha
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
colonlsts 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 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 diligent
search and a wise expenditure of money. It
is not expected that Tancred will ever be a
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 a 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 a bridge
there, as the colony lands extend along both
sides OF the stream. 1t is thought that it
would be a 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 and 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 menla
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 q pro-
vision that no intoxicating liquor shall ever
be manufactured or sold on the land The APP
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 inn
practicable: G. L. Hull, Berkeley, 5 acres; w.
P Harmon, Oakland, Ia acres; G. S. KaSSon,
San Francisco, II acres; Jos. Barker, 10 acres;
A w. Kelly, Kfncardine, Ont, 8 acres; n. 4.
Creathead, acres; II. G. Greathead, Oakland
10 acres; r. A. Barker, San Francisco, 10
acres; N. d. Barker, Tancred, 10 acres; DR.. X.
Favor, san Francisco, 81 acres; J. p Brownlee.
Kincardine Ont, 9 acres; w. T. Barnett,
Berkeley. acres; M. p. Brown, / o acres;
Chas Brook, ST., Oakland, 10 acres; w. c.
Boutelle Berkeley, 20 acres; Mrs. 7. A. CrcIin,
Oakland, 5 acres; c. II. Peach, Tancred,
acres; II. G. Ellis, Oakland, 10 acres; J. Van
stone Winnipeg, 10 acres; E. A. Vanstone,
Tancred, acres; E. Wadsworth, Sacramento,
! 5 acres: NJ. A. Thomas, Oakland, Is acres;
James Graham, San Francisco, il acres; A.
Stark q acres; j. Stark, i o acres: Mrs. NJ.
Vroonnan, acres; @. E. Shook 10 acres; C.
IT. Greathead 12 acres; VIM. Mckay, 3 acres;
Mrs. VIM Mckay, Oakland 5 acres; Mrs Il.
q. Wooley, Brooklyn, n. Y, 10 acres; Mrs. Ii.
Recxley. Oakland, 5 acres; 7. a. Marriott, 5
acres: J. c.. Harrison,s Tancred, 5 acres. The
land reserved by the Colony Company. in,
dingclu townsite, consists of 81 acres.
70 5-Ifd.r=