The record-union., 1891-08-15
A CAPAY COLONY,
Busy Fruit-GrOwers in Pretty
YOlo Valley-Tancred and Its
Adjoining Farms.

Adjoining Farms.
IN THE SPRING OF LAST YEAR
Robert A. and Neal D. Barker associates
themselves with William Mckay. oil or Oo,,-
land, with view OF searching out = sri,ob,a
location IN which to engage in the proftan,.
occupation of fruitgrowing. After visftf,e
many localities, they decided on the Cara,,
Valley, Yolo County, and the Rhodes tract AZ
Tancred.
Negotiations were opened with the Canov
Valley Land Company, owning the tract =,
question. With w. H Mills. the Ga,o~,,
Agent of that company, they arranged for m,
purchase of about 22O acres of foothIu land
This being more than they had thought q,
taking for their own use they spoke 10 a
number of friends about it. with the result
that the tract was divided among the follow.
ing people: b, L. RicSok, 40 acres; W. r.
Barnett, 90 acres; N. r. Greathead, 20 acres.
Mrs L. Greathead 20 acres; w. Mckay 20
acres; n. D. Barker, 20 acres; II. A. Barker
20 acres; j. p, Brownlee, 20 acres: r. Il. Has.
lett, 10 acres; Joseph Barker, 10 acres; A. w.
Kelly 10 acres, and Frederick Kelly. ! O acres
So far this had been merely a private ven.
ture Of the gentlemen above named. but in
taking 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 tbe
purchase would admit Of that It was SIZE.
gested on all hands, why not get some mora
land and divide 1t up in the same way?"
Then followed the idea of a stock companvto tn
take hold of larger tract and arrange for the
cultivation of the whole of it, after subdfviding
1t according to the requirements of the sub
scrlbers. provisional board was formed, a
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 the following officers: President. Will
lam Mckay; Vice-President, NJ P. Brown;
Directors-H. c. Ellis, Charles Brooke and
r. 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 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.
The 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 ii doubtfnply
have 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 &C, 900 trees and
between 10000 and 10000 vines will be-
planted.
The satisfactory working of this scheme has
| had the effect of attracting considerable At
tention 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 puzzle to every one who
has visited it, but one thing is very sure, and
that is that this neglect viii never again be
felt in the valley.
The fruits set out are mostly of the standard
varieties-peachcs, 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 Aconsiderablesnumber OF citrus trees are also
being set OUT quite q sufficient number to
demonstrate that these fruits can be success
! fully grown in the valley, about which the
colonfsts appear to have no doubt provided
proper care is given to the young trees. Neal
| d. Barker, General Manager of the company,
resides on 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 more
ambitious places. n small park of somc 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 curiosities OF tree and
! shrub life as may be obtained by diligent
| search and a wise expenditure of money. It
| is not expected that Tancred will ever be q
large ana 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 tho county TO &C
| cept Island avenue, on the colony tract, as
! county road, and to build Q 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 TancTed colonisss arc
! quite willing to give the necessary right Of
way, and are very desirous of having q 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 irl-
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 a list of the principal mem
bers of the Tancred Colony, with the number
of acres owned by each, and o 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 not i'm
practicable: C. T. Hull, Berkeley, 5 acres ".
p. Hammon, Oakland, ID acres; @. S. KassOn,
San Francisco, II acres; Jos. Barker, acres;
/ a w. Kelly, Kincardine Ont, acres; y. 1.
Greathead, 5 acres; r. CT. Greathead, Oakland
10 acres; r. a. Barker, San Francisco, 10
acres; n. d. Barker, Tancred, % acres; Dr. n
| Favor, san Francisco, 27 acres; ]. p. BroWniee'
| Kincardine, Ont, 8 acres; w. T. Barnett
Berkeley, 5 acres; NJ. P. Brown, 10 acreS'
Chas. Brook, Sr., Oakland, 10 acres; W. u
Boutelle Berkeley, 90 acres; Mrs. /. A. CFeLli.,
Oakland, acres; c. II. Peach, TancTed,
acres; II. C. Ellis, Oakland, 10 acres; j. van
| stone Winnipeg, 10 acres; +. A. Nanstohe'
Tancred 5 acres; f. WadSworth, Sacramento