The record-union., 1891-11-10
A CAPAY COLONY,
Busy Fruit-Growers in a Pretty
YOlo Valley-Tancred and Tts
Adjoining Farms

IN 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 suitabIs
4O'a'ioh IN which TO engage in the profitable
occupation OF fruit-Zrowing. after visiting
many localities, they decided ON the Capav
valley folo County, and the Rhodes tract az
| TGncred.
Nesouatlons were opened with the Cspav
alley Land Company, owning the tract In
question. With w. II. Mills, the General
agent OF that company, they arranged for tho
porcaase Of about 22o acres of foothin land
1hls being more than they had thought Of
taking Tor their own use, they spoke to a
NUMBER OF friends about it. with the resulk
'h"I tne tract was divided among the follow.
ing people: B. L. HicSok, 40 acres; W.T.
farnett, 20 acres; N. T. Greathead. 20 acres.
Mrs L. Greathead, 90 acres; W. Mckay %
acres; n. D. Barker, 20 acres; r. A. Barker.
~ acres; D. p. Brownlee, 90 acres; e. II. Has.
Iett' 10 acres; Joseph Barker, 10 acres; A. w,
Kelly 10 acres, and Frederick Kelly, / O acres.
! 90 lar this had been merely private vena
'uFe OF the gentlemen above named, but in
ValHlng 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 suo.
gested on all hands, ''Why not get some mora
land and divide it up in the same vavqn
Ihen followed the idea of a stock companv tn
take hold of a larger tract ana arrange for the
| cultivation of the whole of it, after subdfyidins
1 IL ltaccorolng to the requirements of the SUBJ
serioers a provisional board was formed.
prospectus issued, and finally, on the 5tH of
June, 1890, the Western Cooperative Col
onlzation and Improvement Company was
duly registered and proceeded to business.
| with tne following officers: President. Will
lam Mckay; Vice-President NJ. P. Brown.
! Directors-H. G. Ellis. Charles Brooke and
Il. A Barker; Secretary and General Manager.
Neal u. Barker; Solicitor, G. 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 tha
| purchase OF large number of fruit trees
| vines, etc. This early purchase of trees was
the means of saving between $4,000 and
| S4'ooo 10 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-
! fupteo. Those who went into it doubtingIy
nave 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 DO. 600 trees and
| pTanJeo. ~ ~
The satisfactory working OF this scheme has
nau the effect of attracting considerable at
tentlon to the work of the Colony Company.
and number of people are now desirous Of
A
! 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 a puzzle to every one who
| mas visited 1t, but one thing is very sure, and
! that Is that this neglect viii never again ba
! felt in the valley
Inc frults set out are mostly of the standard
| Yarleties-peaches, apricots Bartlett pears
| prunes, hgs, 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 a sufficient number To
! demonstrate that these fruits can be srccess
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 comnanv
resides on the tract and to his care is to be as.
cribed much of the success of the ventura
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
acres has been laid out right in the center ~
the town. This park it is proposed to beau+ifv
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 dfIipent
search and 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 oe mace 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 asa
county road, and to build a bridge across
Cache Creek at this point, In order to give tha
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 bridge
there, as the colony lands extend along both
sides OF the stream. It is thought that it
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 well known, but to those
who are willing TO settle on the land and show
that the country also affords attractions and
comforts ana ways OF making money pleas
antly, every indGcement should be held forth.
The following is 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 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 notim
practicable: c. II. Hull, Berkeley, S acres; W.
p. Harmon, Oakland, IA acres; @. S. Kasson,
San Francisco, IL acres; Jos. Barker, 10 acres;
A. w. Kelly, Kincardine, Ont, 5 acres; ". I.
Greathead, acres; II. @. Greathead Oakland
10 acres; r. a. Barker, San Francisco, 10
acres; N. d. Barker, Tancred, 10 acres; DR.. h.
Favor, san Francisco, 27 acres; J. p. Brownlee.
Kincardine, Ont, 8 acres; w. I. Barnett,
Berkeley, 3 acres; Nj. p. Brown, 10 acres:
Chas. Brook, ST., Oakland, 10 acres; w. C.
Boutelle Berkeley, 20 acres; Mrs. 7. A. Crelin,
Oakland, acres; G. II. Peach, Yancred
acres; II. @. Ellis, Oakland, 10 acres; J. Van.
stone, Winnipeg, 10 acres; Z. A. Vanstone
Tanered acres; E. Wadsworth, Sacramento,
5 acres; NJ. A. Thomas, Oakland, e acres;
James Graham San Francisco IL acres. A.
Stark, 12 acres; j. Stark, 10 acres; Mrs M.
Vrooulan, acres; c. Z. Shook, 10 acres. @.
T. CIreathead, IL acres; Wnl. Mckay. 3 acres:
Mrs VIM. Mckay, Oakland, 5 acres: Mrs. f,
c. wooley, Brooklyn, N. Y, 10 acres; Mrs. II.
Reckley, Oakland, acres; L. a. Marriott. .
acres; j. c. Harrison, Tancred, acres. The
land reserved by the Colony Company, In.