The record-union., 1891-11-03
A CAPAY COLONY,
Busy Fruit-GrOwers in a 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 suitabla
/ location In which 70 engage in the proftabls
occupation of fruit-growing. After visiting
| many localities, they decided on the Capay
| valley, Yolo County, and the Rhodes tract AZ
! Tancred.
Negohations were opened with the Capav
alley Land Company, owning the tract in
q1esuon. With W. H. Mills, the General
Agent of that company, they arranged for ths
purchase OF about 22o acres Of footbtu land
This being more than they had thought os
| taxing for their own use, they spoke to a
NUMBER OF friends about it. with the result
tnat the tract was divided among the follow.
! ing people; B. L. Hickok, 10 acres; VT.
Farnett, 90 acres; n. T. Greathead, 90 acres:
Mrs l. Greathead, go acres; W. Mckay. 90
acres; n. d. Barker, 20 acres; r. A. Barker.
20 acres; j. P. BrownIee, 20 acres; E. H Has.
| lett, 10 acres; Joseph Barker, 10 acres: A. w.
Kelly 10 acres, and Frederick Kelly. 10 acres.
80 Lar this had been merely private ven.
| Vure OF the gentlemen above named, but in
talking up the question of dividing the land
already purchased, IL was found that so rnany
more would like TO join 1t than the area OF the
! purchase would admit OF, that it was sug.
ges1ed on all hands, ''Why not get some mora
land and divide it up in the same yay9p
Then followed the idea Of stock COMPANY to
/ take hold OF larger tract and arrange for the
cultivation Of the whole OF it, after subdiyidino
1t according to the requirements OF the sub-
A --yrg~,
/ 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 .he following officers: President. Will
/ lam Mckay; Vice-President, NJ P. Brown.
| Directors-H. @. Ellis. Charles Brook. and
! h a Barker; Secretary and General Manager,
Neal d. Barker; Solicitor, C. E. Shook; Treas
urer, First National Bank Of Oakland.
Ihe balance OF the tract 373 acres, was PUP
chased A contract was entered into for the
| purchase OF a large number of fruit trees,
1 vines, etc. This early purchase OF trees was
| the means OF saving between $4,000 anil
/ $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.
/
/ nave become enthusiastic, and almost all the
4 members arranged to set out all their lands in
( fruit trees, etc, the first year. Conseouentlv
/ In this, the first season, some 10. 600 trees and
| between 10000 and 10000 vines viii be
/ pIanJed.
! The satisfactory working Of this scheme has
I had the effect Of attracting considerable at
/ tention to the work Of the Colony Company.
/ and number Of people are now desirous Of
I Joining 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 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 ons who
/ has visited it, but one thing is very sure, and
! that Is that this neglect viii never again be
I felt in the valley
| The fruits set out are mostly OF the standard
/ Tarieties-peaehes, apricots, Bartlett pears.
/ prunes, ugs, raisin grapes, etc. while along
/ both sides OF the avenues throughout ths
/ tract, walnuts viii throw their graceful shade.
| 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
| colontsts appear TO have no doubt provided
/ proper care is given to the young trees Neal
! ID. Barker, General Manager OF the company,
resides 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 mora
/ ambitious places. a small park of some three
I acres has been laid out right in the center of
1 the town. This park 1t is proposed TO beautffy
| by planting in Il nom 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
A. 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 &C
/ 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
rancred Station. The Tancred colonists are
/ quite willing to give the necessary right Of
| way, and are very desirous OF having 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 70 the whole
county and State. The attractions and COM
forts Of the cities are well known, but 10 those
who are willing to settle on the land and show
that the country also affords attractions and
! cDuIOrLS ana ways OF making money pleas
antIy, every inducement should be held forth.
The following is list OF the principal mem.
bers Of the TaucTed 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 a pro-
vision that no intoxicating liquor shall ever
be manufactured or sold on the land. The ap-
parent success 0 q 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, 5 acres; w.
P. Harmon, Oakland, Il acres; @. 5. Kasson,
San Francisco, II acres; Jos. Barker, 10 acres;
A. w. Kelly, KfncardiLe, Ont. 8 acres; ". 7.
Greathead, 5 acres; r. @. Greathead, Oakland
10 acres: r. A. Barker san Francisco o
| acres; ". D. Barker, Tancred, / o acres; DR.. K.
! Favor, San Francisco, 27 acres; J. 2. Bropniee
| KincardIne, Ont, 9 acres; W. T. Rarnett
| Berkeley, 5 acres; NJ. p. Brown, 10 acres;
| CE4as Brook, Sr., Oakland, 10 acres; w. g.
RouteIle, Berkeley, 20 acres; Mrs. I. A. Crelin,
Oakland 5 acres; G.. II. Peach, Tancred, D
| acres; h G. Ellis, Oakland, 10 acres; J. Van.
stone, Winnipeg, 10 acrcsy Z. a. Vanstone,
Tancred, acres; Z. Wadsworth, Sacramento,
4 S acres; ". A. Thomas, Oakland, 8 acres;
James Graham, San Francisco, II acres; A.
Stark IL acres; j. Stark, 10 acres; Mrs. 81.
/ yrooman, 8 acres; Q. J.. Snook, 10 acress q.
7. Greathead, 2 acres; Vim. Mckay, 5 acres;
Mrs VIM Mckay, Oakland, 5 acres; Mrs. s.
C. Woosey, Brooklyn, ". Y, 10 acres; Mrs. II.
Reckley, Oakland, 5 acres; T. A. Marriott, 5
acres; J. G. Harrison, Tancred, 5 acres. Pha
land reserved by the Colony Company, Las
Il dtuaclu townsite consists Of 81 acrez-
/ fs15-tfd6w