The record-union., 1891-08-12
A CAPAY COLONY,
Busy Fruit-GrOwers in a Pretty
YOlO Valley-Tancred and Its
Adjoining Farms

| THE SPRING OF LAST YEAE
- Robert y. and Neal D. Barker associated
themselves with William Mckay. all of Oak.
land, with & view of searching out a suitable
location IN which to engage in tho nror7+oh,a
| occupation Of fuit-growing. After Visiting
many localities, they decided on the Capav
Valley, Yoio County, and the Rhodes tract az
Tancred
| negotiations were opened with the Canav
alley 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
IEis being more than they had thought of
! taxing for their own use they spoke to a
! number of friends about it, with the resul.
| that the tract was divided among tho roIIo,y.
ing people: B. L. Rickok, 40 acres; VT.
Earnett 20 acres; n. 7. Greathead, go acres;
Mrs L. Greathead, 90 acres; w. Mckay, 20
| acres; N d. Barker, 90 acres; r. A. Barker
| 20 acres j. p. Brownlee, 20 acres; E. il. Has.
/ lett, 10 acres; Joseph Barker, 10 acres; A. w,
| Kelly o acres, and Frederick Kelly, O acres.
! 50 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, 1t was found that so many
more would like to join it than the area of the
purchase would admit of that lit was sug-
gested on all hands, ''Why not get some more
land and divide it up in the same way?"
! Then followed the idea of q stock comnanvto
take hold of a larger tract and arrange for tho
| cultivation OF the whole of it, after subdividinp
| 1t according to the requirements of the sub
scribers. a provisional board was formed. q
| prospectus issued, and finally, on the 5th Of
| Juue, 1890, the Western Cooperative Col
onization and Improvement Company was
duly registered and proceeded to business.
with the following officers: President, VIII
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. Snook; Treas
urer, First National Bank of oakland.
The balance OF the tract, 373 acres, was pr1r-
| chased. A contract was entered into for tho
purchase of a large number of fruit trees
vlnes etc. This early purchase of trees was
the means of saving between So, 600 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 it doubtinGIy
/ have become enthusiastic and almost all tho
! members arranged to set out all their lands in
| fruit trees, etc, the first year. Consequently
In this, the first season, some 4O, GOO trees and
between 10000 and $4,000 vines will be
planted
The satisfactory working of this scheme has
had the effect of attracting considerable at
[1-NN NfF,vN -
and number of people are now desrous 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, rs 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 viii 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 constderahlesnumber OF citrus trees are also
being set out; quite n 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
ID. Barker, General Manager OF the company
resides on the tract and TO his care is to be as
cribsd 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 1t is proposed to beautify
by planting in 1t from time to time as many
of the beauties and curiosities OF tree and
shrub life may be obtained by diligent
search and 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 @
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
Tancred Station. The Tancred colonists are
, quite willing to give the necessary right Of
way, and are very Gesirous OF having n bridge
! there, as the colony lands extend along both
sides of the stream. Il is thought that 1t
would be very wise expenditure CT public
money TO grant them this very necessary i'm
proyement, as the operations OF such COM
panies arc 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
2 bers of the Tancred Colony, with the number
of acres owned by each, and a fact worthy OF
l mention is that in each contract or deed is
sued by the Colony Company there is q pro
vision that no intoxicating liquor shall ever
be manufactured or sold on the land The ar>
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,
pTacticabe: c. T. Hull, Berkeley, 5 acres; w
2. Harmon, Oakland, Ia acres; c. s. Kasson
San Francisco, l acres; Jos. Barker, / 0 acres
A. w. Kelly, Kincardine, Ont, 5 acres; N. T
! Greathead 5 acres; r. G. Greathead, Oakland
| 10 acres; r. A. Barker San Francisco. IC
acres; n. D. Barker, Tancred 10 acres; DR.. X
! Favor, San Francisco, RI acres; j. P. Brownlec
. Kincardine, Ont, acres; w. T. Barnett
Berkeley, 5 acres; NJ. p. Brown, 10 acres
, | ChaS Brook, Sr., Oakland, 10 acres; w. c
Boutelle, Berkeley, 90 acres; Mrs. T. a. Crelin
: Oakland, 5 acres G. III. Peach, Tancred {
acres; II. @. Ellis, Oakland, 10 acres; J. Van
stone Winnipeg, 10 acres; E. A Vanstone
Tancred, 5 acres; e. Wadsworth, Sacramento
! 8 acres; NJ. A. Thomas, Oakland 6 acres
, James Graham, San Francisco, il acres; A
i Stark, 12 acres; j. Stark, II acres; Mrs NJ
i Vrooman, 5 acres; G. E. Shook, 10 acres; c
T. Greathead, 12 acres; VIM. Mckay, > acres
8 Mrs. VIM. Mckay, Oakland, 5 acres; Mrs.
: G. Wooley, Brooklyn, n. Y, 10 acres; Mrs. ID
q | Bechiey, Oakland, 5 acres; II. A Marriott,