The record-union., 1892-02-03
Busy Fruit-Growers in a Pretty
folo Valley-Tancred and Its
Adjoining Farms

iancred
Negotlauons were opened with the Capay
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 22O acres Of foothtu land
This being more than they had thought Of
taxing for their own use they spoke to a
number OF friends about it. with the result
tnat the tract was divided among the follow.
Ing people: B. L. Rickok. 40 acres; w. It.
Barnett, 90 acres; N. T. Greathead. 90 acres.
Mrs. L. Greathead, 20 acres: w. Mckay %
acres; n. d. Barker, 90 acres; r. A. Barker
~ acres; j. r. Erownlee, 20 acres; e. H Has
iett. 10 acres; Joseph Barker, / o acres; A. w,
helIys 1 acres, and Frederick Kelly. / O acres
so lar this had been merely private ven.
ture OF the gentlemen above named. but in
talking 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 suo.
gested on all hands, "Why not get some mora
lahd and divide il up in the same vaypu
men followed the idea Of a stock company to
take hold of larger tract and arrange for the
cultivation of the whole of it. after sIfbdividipg
1t according to the requirements of the s,,b
ccribers. provisional board was formed q
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. VIII.
lam Mckay; Vice-President M. p. Brown.
Dnrectors-H. c. Ellis, Charles Brooke and
II. 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 mr.
chased A contract was entered into for tho
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 soma
cases having more than doubled since then.
1he loeas 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 doubtinely
nave become enthusiastic and almost all the
members arranged TO set out all their lands In
fruit trees ETC., the first year Conseuuentlv
In this, the first season, some 40, 900 trees and
between 10000 and 10000 vines will be
pIanreu.
The satisfactory working of this scheme has
had the effect of attracting considerable at
tenuon TO the work Of the Colony COMPANY
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 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 ore who
has visited 1t, 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
neutrality-suspicious., apricots, Bartlett pears
prunes, figs, raisin grapes, etc. while along
poth slceS OF the avenues, throughout the
tract, walnuts will throw their graceful shade
A considerable number of citrus trees are also
peing set out; quite sufficient number to
demonstrate that these fruits can be succacs
iully 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 conpanv
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 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 beautifv
by planting in it from time to time as many
OF the beauties and curiosities of tree and
shruo lie as may be obtained by diligent
search and wise expenditure Of money IT
is not expected that Tancred will ever be a
large and busy city, but it is thought that it
can be made very pleasapA little place to
dwell in.
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 IA bridge across
Cache creek at this point, in order to give the
settlers on the east side of the creek access tn
Tancred Station. The Tancred colonists are
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 inn
provement, as the operations of such COM
panies are of widespread benefit to the whole
county and State. The attractions and conn
forts of the cities are well known out 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 men,
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 ap-
parent success ofthe enterprise shows that
the ideas and plans of the colony, as set forth
in the prospectus some time ago, are not in-
practicable: c. T. Hull, Berkeley, acres; W.
p. Harmon, Oakland, IA acres; 9. S. Kasson,
San Francisco, IL acres; JOS. Barker, o acres;
A. w. Kelly, Kincardine, Ont, acres; N T.
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 ]. P. Brownlee,
Kincardine, Ont, 8 acres; w. T. Barnett,
Berkeley, acres; NJ. p. Brown, 10 acres;
Chas. Brook ST., Oakland, 10 acres; w. c.
Boutelle, Berkeley, 90 acres; Mrs. 7. A. Crelin,
Oakland acres; c. H. Peach, Tancred,
acres; II. c. Ellis, Oakland, 10 acres; J. Van
stone, Winnipeg, 10 acres; E. A. Vanstone,
Tancred, acres; E. Wadsworth, Sacramento,
s acres; M. A. Thomas, Oakland, 6 acres;
James Graham, San Francisco. IL acres; A.
Stark, IL acres; j. Stark, 10 acres; Mrs. NJ.
Vrooman, acres; c. E. Shook, 10 acres; C.
7. Greathead, 12 acres; VIM. Mckay. acres;
Mrs VIM. Mckay, Oakland, 8 acres; Mrs. E
c. Wooley, Brooklyn, n. Y, 10 acres; Mrs. II.
Beckley, Oakland. 8 acres; I. A. Marriott, 5
acres; j. C. Harrison, Tancred, acres The
land reserved by the Colony Company, in.
dingclu townsite, consists OF 81 acres.