The record-union., 1891-03-06
A CAPAY COLONY,
Busy Fruit t-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 suitable
location in which to engage in the profitable
occupation Of fruit-growing. After visiting
many localities. they decided on the Capay
Valley, Yolo County, and the Rhodes tract at
! Tancred.
Negotiations were opened with the Capay
valley Land Company, owning the tract in
question. With w. H. Mills. the General
Agent OF that company, they arranged for the
purchase of about ego acres of foothin land,
his being more than they had thought of
taxing for their own use they spoke to a
| number of friends about it, with the result
that the tract was divided among the follow
ing people: b. l.. Hickok, 40 acres; w. T.
Barnett, 90 acres; n. 7. Greathead, 20 acres;
Mrs. l.. Greathead, 20 acres; w. Mckay. 20
acres; y. d. Barker, 20 acres; r. A. Barker,
20 acres J. p. Brownlee, 20 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 the purchase would admit Of that if
was suggested 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 a larger tract and
| arrange for the cultivation of the whole of il.
after subdividlng 1t according to the re-
! qu1rements of the subscribers. A provisional
board was formed, a prospectus issued. and
finally, on the 9TH of Juue, 1890. the West
ern Cooperative Colonization and Improve
ment Company was duly registered and pro.
| ceeded to business, with the following officers:
President William Mckay; vice-President,
NJ. P. Brown. Directors-H. c. Ellis. Charles
| Brooke and R. A. Barker; Secretary and Gem
eral Manager, Neal d. Barker; Solicitor. C. f.
| Snook; Treasurer, First National Bank of
! Oakland.
Inc balance of the tract, 373 acres was pur-
chased contract was entered into for the
purchase of 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
Inc 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 doubtinplv
| nave become enthusiastic, and almost all the
| members arranged to set out all their land in
fruit trees, ETC., the first year. Consequently
In this, the first season, some 40,00O trees and
between 10000 and 10000 vines will be-
! planted.
The satisfactory working of this scheme has
mad the effect of attracting considerable atten-
tion to the work of the Colony Company. and
number of people are now desirous of ioin-
| ing in with them. An additional 900 acres
! have been added to the sixty acres originally
| purchased.
For the company is predicted q very bright
future as well as for the beautiful valley in
! which their operations are conducted How
TINS marvellous little garden has come to be so
| long neglected is q 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
Varleties-peaches, apricots, Bartlett pears
| prunes, figs, raisin grapes, etc, while along
both sides of the avenues, throughout the
| tract, walnuts will throw their graceful shade.
| a considerable number of citrus trees are also
| being set out; quite q sufficient number to
demonstrate that these fruits can be success
1 Iully grown IN the valley, about which the
colonists appear to have no doubt provided
proper care is given to the young trees Neal
ID. Barker, General Manager of the company,
resides on the tract, and to his 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 more
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 curiosties of tree and
| shrub life as may be obtained by diligent
search and a wise expenditure of money 1t
is not expected that Tancred will ever be q
| large and busy city but it is thought that it
| can be made a 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 east side OF the creek access to
i 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 i'm
| 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 arc willing to settle on the land ana show
| that the country also affords attractions and
| comforts and ways of making money pleas
antiy, every inducement should be held FORTH
! The following is a list OF the principal men,
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
apparent success of the enterprise shows
that the ideas and plans of the col
1 ony, as set forth i'll the prospectus some
| time ago, are not impracticable: C. II.
Hull, Berkeley, 5 acres w. 7. Harmon. Oak
| land, ID acres; G. S. Kasson, San Francisco
| IL acres; JOS Barker, 10 acres; A. w. Kelly
| kincardine, Ont, acres; n. 7. Greathead 5
acres; II. q. Greathead, Oakland 10 acres: Il.
| a. Barker, San Francisco, o acres; N d. Bar
ker, Tancred, 10 acres; DIR. X Favor, san
Francisco 27 acres; ]. p Brownlee Kincar-
! dine, Ont, $ acres; w. t. Barnett. Berkeley, 5
acres; NJ. P. Brown, 10 acres; Chas Brook, Sr.,
Oakland, 10 acres; w C. Boutele. Berkeley,
/ 20 acres; Mrs. t. a. Crelfn, Oakland, 5 acres;
4 c. III. Peach Tancred, acres; ii. c. Ellis, Oak
/ land, 10 acres; j. Vanstone, Winnipeg, 10
acres; E. A. Vanstone, Tancred, acres; E.
Wadsworth. Sacramento, 5 acres; NJ. A.
Ihomas, Oakland 6 acres; James Graham,
! san Francisco, IL acres; A. Stark, IL acres;
J. Stark, 10 acres; Mrs. NJ. Vrooman, acres;
Z. Il. Snook, 10 acres; c. I. Greathead, Ii
1 acres; VIM. Mckay, 5 acres; Mrs. VIM. Mckay,
Oakland, 8 acres; Mrs. E. c. Wooley, Brook
/ 1tTr n Z OoI