The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-01-15

Busy Fruit-GrOwers in a Pretty
YOlO Valley-Tancred and Its
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 ont n suitabla
location in which to engage in the proftabls
occupation of fruitgrowing. After visiting
| many localities, they decided on the Canav
Nalley' folo County, and the Rhodes tract at
Tancred.
negotiations were opened with the Canav
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
ms being more than they had thought of
taxing Tor their own use, they spoke to a
number OF friends about it, with the result
mat the tract was divided among the follov.
! ing people: B. L. Hickok. 40 acres. w n
barnett, 20 acres; N. T. Greathead. 20 acres.
Mrs. L. Greathead, 20 acres; w. Mckay On
acres; n. D. Barker, 20 acres; r. A. Barker
~ acres; J.P. Brownlee, 20 acres; f. H. Has
lett 10 acres; Joseph Barker, 10 acres; A. w.
Kelly 10 acres, and Frederick Kelly. 10 acres.
80 lar this had been merely q private ven.
! lure OF the gentlemen above named b1t in
| talking up the question of dividing the land
already purchased, it was found that so MANY
more would like to join 1t than the area Of ths
purchase would admit of, that it was sug.
gested on all hands, 'Why not get some moro
! Land and divide it up in the same yay?n
! Then followed the idea of a stock conlpanv 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
I a mr., vrf-i.O,
| prospectus issued, and finally. on the 5th Of
June, 1880, 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, M. P. Brown.
Directors-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
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.
The ideas which the prospectus set forth
nave been but slightly modified and the
progress OF the company has been uninter-
| rupted. Those who went into it doubtingly
have become enthusiastic, and almost all the
members arranged to set out all their lands in
1 fruit trees, ETC., the first year. Consequently
in this, the first season, some 40, 900 trees and
between 10000 and 10000 vines will be
pIanJeu.
The satisfactory working of this scheme has
had the effect of attracting considerable at
| tent1on to the work of the Colony COMPANY.
and number of people are now DESTROYS of
joining in with them. An additional 900
| acres have been added to the sixty acres
originally purchased.
For the company is predicted very bright
future, as well as for the beautiful valley in
which their operations are conducted. How
this marvellous little garden has come TO he 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
varieties-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 Observation-Disclosures 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
ID. 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 q 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 curiosities Of tree and
shrub life as may be obtained by diligent
search and wise expenditure of money. It
is not expected that Tancred will ever be q
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 bridge across
Cache Creek at this point, in order to give the
settlers on the east side of the creek access to
Cancred Station. The Tancred colonists are
quite willing to give the necessary right Of
way, and are very DESTROYS Of having 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 inn
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 men,
bers OF the Tancred Colony, with the number
of acres owned by each, and 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 OF the enterprise shows that
the ideas and plans of the colony, set forth
in the prospectus some time ago, are not I'M
practicable: G. T. Hull, Berkeley, 3 acres; W.
P. Harmon, Oakland, Ia acres; @. S. Kasson,
San Francisco, II acres; Jos. Barker, 20 acres;
A. W. Kelly, Kincardine Ont, 3 acres; n. 4.
Greathead, 5 acres; r. G. Greathead, Oakland
10 acres; r. A Barker, San Francisco, 10
acres; n. D. Barker, Tancred, 10 acres; DR.. X
Favor, San Francisco. 81 acres: j. p Brownlee,
Berkeley, 5 acres; NJ. p. Brown, 10 acres;
Boutelle, Berkeley, 90 acres; Mrs. 7. A. Crelin,
Oakland, acres; G. II. Peach, Tancred,
acres; II. c. Ellis, Oakland 10 acres; j. Van
stone Winnipeg, 10 acres T. A. Nanstone.
Tancred, acres; E. Wadswortl, Sacramento,
acres; NJ. A. Thomas, Oakland, acres;
James Graham, San Francisco, II acres; A.
Stark ID acres; j. Stark, 10 acres; Mrs. NJ.
Vrooman acres; C. L. Shook, 10 acres; G.
T. Greathead IL acres; VIM. Mckay, 5 acres;
Mrs VIM Mckay, Oakland, 5 acres Mrs. L.
C. Wooley Brooklyn, N Y, 10 acres; Mrs. H.
BecIlley, Oakland, acres; T. A. Marriott, 3
acres; J. G. Harrison, Tancred, 5 acres. The
land reserved by the Colony Company, iAr