The record-union., 1891-10-31
A CAPAY COLONY,
Busy Fruit-Growers in a Pretty
Yolo Valley-Tancred and It's
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
iocation IN which TO engage in the profitable
occupation OF fruitgrowing. After visiting
many localities, they decided on the Capay
Vaiiey, 9olo County, and the Rhodes tract az
Tancred
negotiations were opened with the Cspay
alley Land Company, owning the tract in
Qlestion' With w. H. Mills, the General
agent OF that company, they arranged for the
purchase OF about 22o acres of foothin land
Ihls being more than they had Thought of
taxing for their own use, they smoke to a
number of friends about ii. with the rosul.
that the tract was divided among the follow.
Ing people; b. L. Hickok, 10 acres; W.T..
Farnett, 20 acres; N. T. Greathead. 90 acres,
Mrs. L. Greathead, go acres; w. BIcKav. 90
acres; n. ID. Barker, 90 acres; r. A. Barker.
~ acres; j. p. Brownlee, 90 acres; +. 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 q private ven.
ture OF the gentlemen above named. but in
taking 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 sug.
/ gested on ali hands, '1Why not get some mora
land and divide it up in the same yavqn
Then followed the idea OF stock cornpanv To
take hold of larger tract and arrange for tha
cultivation of the whole of il, after subdivfdine
II taccording to the requirements OF the SUBJ
| scrtoers. A provisional board was formed. a
| prospectus issued, and finally, on the 9th OF
| June, 1890, the Western Cooperative Col.
onization and Improvement Company was
duly registered and proceeded to business.
with tae following officers President VIII.
lam Mckay; Vice-President NJ. p. Brown.
Dlrectors-H c. Ellis, Charles Brooke and
H. 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 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 TO the company, the prices in soma
cases having more than doubled since then.
| The ideas which the prospectus set forth
have been but slightly modified and the
L
! rupted. Those who went into il doubtinplv
! have become enthusiastic, and almost all the
| members arranged TO set out all their lands i'm
fruit trees, ETC., the first year. Consequently
in this, the first season, some 40, 600 trees and
between 10000 and 10000 vines will ba
p1anreo.
The satisfactory working OF this scheme llas
had the effect of attracting considerable at
tentlon TO the work of the Colony Company.
and number of people are now desirous OF
Joining in with them. An additional 900
acres have been added to the sixty acres
originally purchased
Tor the company is predicted very bright
future, as well for the beautiful valley i'm
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 s+ardor1
neutrality-suspicious., aprlcots, Bartlett pears
prunes, dgs, ratsin 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 o sufficient number tn
demonstrate that these fruits can be success.
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 companv
resides on the tract and to his care is to be asa
cribed much of the success OF the venture.
Mention should be made of the town-site.
about which there is 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 Of
the town. This park it is proposed to beautifv
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 wise expenditure of money 1t
is not expected that Tancred will ever be a
large and busy city, but it is thought that IL
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 n
county road and to build q bridge across
Cache Creek at this point, in order to give tho
settlers on the east side of the creek access to
Cancred Station. The Tancred colonfsts ara
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 irn-
proyement, the operations of such com.
panies are of widespread benefit to the whole
county and State. The attractions and COM
forts of the cities arc well known but to those
who are willing TO settle 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 a list of the principal men,
bers of the Tancred Colony, with the number
of acres owned by each, and q fact worthy OF
mention Is that in each contract or deed is.
sued by the Colony Company there is a pros
vision that no Intoxicating liquor shall ever
be manufactured or sold on the land. The an.
parent success o 1.-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,
T. Harmon, Oakland, IA acres; G. S. Kasson,
San Francisco, II acres; Jos. Barker, / 0 acres;
A. w. Kelly, Klncardine, Ont, 5 acres; n. T.
Greathead, 5 acres; r. G.. Greathead, Oakland
10 acres: Il. A. Barker, San Francisco 10
acres; n. D. Barker, Tancred, o acres; DIR. X.
Favor San Francisco, g Gcres; ]. p. Brownlee.
Kiacardine, Ont, Q acres; W. T. Barnett,
Berkeley, 5 acres; NJ. p Brown, 10 acres;
Cnas. Brook ST., Oakland, 10 acres; w. C.
Boutelle, Berkeley, 20 acres; Mrs. T. A. Creiiu,
Oakland, 5 acres; G. II. Peach, Tancred,
acres: II. G. Ellis, Oakland, 10 acres; J. Vans
stone Winnipeg 10 acres; f. A. Vanstone,
Tancred, acres; Z. Wadsworth Sacramento,
5 acres; NJ A. Thomas, Oakland, 6 acres;
James Graham, San Francisco, ] acres; A.
Stark, IL acres; J. Stark, 10 acres; Mrs. NJ.
Vroomau acres; C. e. Shook, 10 acres; G.
7. Greathead, IL acres; VIM. Mckay, acres:
Mrs VIM Mckay, Oakland, acres; Mrs. &.
G. Wooley, Brooklyn, n. Y, 10 acres; Mrs. IA.
Reckiey. Oakland 5 acres; L. A. Marriott, 5
acres; j. c. Harrison, Tanered, 5 acres. The
land reserved by the Colony Company. iRs
dingclu townsite, consists of 81 acres.
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