The record-union., 1891-09-25
A CAPAY COLONY,
Busy Fruit-Growers in a Pretty
Yolo Valley-Tancred and Its
Adjoining Farms

| THE SPRING OF LAST YEAN
Robert A. and Neal d. Barker associated
themselves with William Mckay, all OF Oak.
land, with a view of searching out suitable
looation IN which to engage in the profitable
occupation OF fruit-growing. After visiting
many localities, they decided on the Capav
Valley, Yolo County and the Rhodes tract at
| Tancred
Negotiations were opened with the Capay
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 foothin land
This being moro than they had thourht OF
! taking for their own use, they spoke To n
number of friends about it. with the result
that the tract was divided among the follow.
ing people: ID. t. aickok, 40 acres; w. T.
Ealhett, 20 acres; n. T. Gireathead. 20 acres:
Mrs L. Qreathead, go acres; ". Mckay. 90
acres; N. d. Barker, 90 acres; r. A. Barker
| 20 acres; j, p. Brownlee, 90 acres; Il. II. Has.
lett, 10 acres; Joseph Barker, 10 acres; A. w.
kelly 10 acres, and Frederick Kelly, 10 acres.
so far this had besn merely private ven.
ture OF the gentlemen above named. but in
talking 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 it was s,rr.
gested on all hands, ''Why not get some mora
/ land and divide it up in the same wayqn
Then followed the idea of a stock company 10
Jake hold Of larger tract and arrange for the
cultivation OF the whole of it, after subdfvidlng
taccordlng to the requirements Of the sub.
Gcrihers. provisional board was formed. a
prospectus issued, and finally, on the 5th Of
June, 1890, the Western Co-operative Col.
onization and Improvement Company was
duly registered and proceeded to business.
with the following officers: President. VIII.
lam Mckay; Viee-President, NJ. +. Brown.
Directors-H. c. Ellis, Charles Brooke and
| L. A. Barker; Secretary and General Manager.
Neal d. Barker; Solicitor, c. Il. Snook: Treas.
urer, First National Bank of Oakland.
/ The balance ofthe tract, 373 acres, was pur-
chased. A contract was entered into for the
! purchase OF a 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
The ideas which the prospectus set forth
have been but slightly modified and the
! progress OF the company has been unintar-
I iNpGSu. 1uoSS VINO went INTO it dOubtiuuly
| 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 tirst season, some 40, 600 trees and
between 10000 and 10000 vines will ba
pIRnteu.
The satisfactory working of this scheme has
/ 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 200
acres have been added to the sixty acres
originally purchased.
For the company is predicted a 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
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, wanuts will throw their graceful shade
A consderablesnumber of citrus trees are also
being set out; quite sufficient number to
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 company.
cr1bed much of the success of the venture.
Mention should be made of the town-site
! about which there is q pleasant innovation
which might with profit be followed by moro
! ambitious places small park of some three
acres has been laid out right in the center of
| the town. This park 1t is proposed to beautify
| by plantingin it from time to time as MANY
of the beauties and curiosites 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 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
Tanered Station. The Tancred colonists are
I 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 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 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 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 APP
! parent success o / the enterprise shows that
/ the ideas and plans Of the colony, as set forth
practicable: C. I. Hull Berkeley, acres; w.
| p. Harmon, Oakland, Ii acres; @. S. Kasson,
/ San Francisco, / acres; Jos. Barker, acres;
1 a. w. Kelly, Kincardine, Ont, 5 acres n. T.
! Greathead, acres; Z. G. Greathead, Oakland
+! 10 acres; r. A. Barker, San Francisco, 10
acres; N. d. Barker, Tahcred, 10 acres; DR.. X.
/ Kincardine Ont, 8 acres; w. 7. Barnett,
Berkeley, 5 acres; NJ. p. Brown, 10 acres;
Chas Brook, Sr Oakland, 10 acres; w. c.
Oakland, acres; C. II. Peach, Tancred
acres; II. C. Ellis, Oakland 20 acres; ]. Van.
| stone Winnipeg, 10 acres; e. A. yanstone,
Tancred, 5 acres; E. Wadsworth, Sacramento,
/ 5 acres; NJ. a. Thomas, Oakland, 6 acres;
James Graham, San Francisco, IL acres; a.
Stark, IL acres; j. Stark 10 acres; Mrs VI.
Vrooman, 5 acres; c. Z. Shook, 10 acres; G.
/ 7. creathead. / acres; VIM. Mckay, 5 acres;
Mrs. VIM. Mckay, Oakland, acres; Mrs. %.
G. Wooley Brooklyn, N. y, 10 acres Mrs. II.
Beckley Oakland, 3 acres; I. A. Marriott.
acres; j. G. Harrison, Tancred, acres. The
land reserved by the Colony Company, In
dingelu townsite, consists OF 81 acress