The record-union., 1892-03-21
A CAPAY COLONY,
6usy Fruit Growers in a Pretty
Yolo Valley-Tancred and Its
Adjoining Farms

IN THE SPRING OF LAST YEAR
Robert a. aud Neal d. Barker associated
themselves with William Mckay. all of Oat.
land, with a view of searching out a snitabla
iocs'tioh IN which to engage in the profitable
occupation of fruitgrowing. After visiting
many localities. they decided on the Capav
valley, Golo County, and the Rhodes tract at
Tancred
Negouatlons were opened with the Canav
valley Land Company, owning the tract in
question. With w. II. Mills. the Gane-o,
Agent of that company, they arranged for tina
purchase of about 22o acres of footh;u Ian,
This being more than they had thought OF
's'hihg lor their own use, they spoke to a
number OF friends about It, with the rosuIt
that the tract was divided among the fol,ow.
ing people: B. l.. Hickok, 40 acres. w n
Barnett 90 acres; N. I. Greathead. 20 acres.
Mrs. L. Greathead, 90 acres; w. Mckay 90
acres; n. d. Barker, 90 acres; R. A, Barker
20 acres; j. p Brownlee, 90 acres: f. n. Has.
lett 10 acres; Joseph Barker, 10 acres: A. w
SO far this had been merely a private ven.
lure Oh the gentlemen above named. but in
talking up the question OF dividing the land
already purchased, 1t was found thar SO MANY
more would like to join it than the area of the
purchase would admit Of that it was sup-
gested on all hands, "Why not get some mora
land and divide it up in the same waveu
Then followed the idea of a stock cornt,auv IN
take hold of larger tract and arrange fo, tho
cultivation of the whole of it, after subdividtps
1t according to the requirements OF the sub.
Gcrioers. A provisional board was formed. a
prospectus issued, aud finally, on the 9Th OF
June, 1890, the Western Cooperative Col.
onlzation and Improvement Company was
dLly registered and proceeded to business,
with the following officers: President VIII.
lam Mckay; Vice-President, NJ. p. Brown.
Dlrectors-H, c. Ellis, Charles Brooke and
f. A. Barker; Secretary and General Manager,
Neal d. Barker; Solicitor, c. E. Snool,. Treas.
urer, First National Bank of Oakland.
The balance Of the tract 37S acres. was nur.
CHASED. A contract was entered into for the
purchase OF a large number of fruit treez
vines, ETC. This early purchase of trees was
the means OF saving between $4,000 and
9t'ooo 10 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 doubtinelv
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 40, 900 trees and
between 10000 and 10000 vines will ba
pIanred.
The satisfactory working of this scheme has
mad the effect Of attracting considerable at
tention to the work of the Colony Comuapv
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
neutrality-suspicious., apricots Bartlett pears
pfunes, hgs, raisin grapes, etc. while along
both sides Of the avenues, throughout tho
tract, walnuts Will throw their graceful shada
A considerable. number of citrus trees are also
being set out; quite a sufficient number to
demonstrate that these fruits can be success.
fully grown in the valley about which the
colonlsts appear to have no doubt provided
proper care is given to the young trees. Neal
u barker, General Manager of the company,
resides on the tract, and TO his care is to be as
cnbed much of the success of the venture.
Mention should be made of the toyvu-sitA
about which there is a pleasant innovation
which might with profit be followed by mora
ambitious places. A small park of some three
acres has been laid out right in the center ~
the town. This park it is proposed to beautifv
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 diIieent
search and wise expenditure of money. II
Is not expected that Tancred will ever be a
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 ana
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
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 a 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 a 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 q pro-
vision that no intoxicating liquor shall ever
be manufactured or sold OH the land The an.
parent success ofthe enterprise shows that
the ideas and plans Of the colony, as set forth
in the prospectus some time ago, are not i'm
practicable: G. t. Hull, Berkeley, acres; w.
p. Harmon, Oakland, Ia acres; G. s. Kasson
San Francisco, Il acres; Jos. Barker, 10 acres;
A. w. Kelly, Kincardine Ont, 5 acres; NJ T.
Greathead, 5 acres; r. G. Greathead Oakland
10 acres r. A. Barker, San Francisco. 10
acres; N. D. Barker, Tancred. 10 acres; Or. K.
Favor, San Francisco, 81 acres; j. P. Brownlee
Kincardine, Ont, 8 acres; w. 7. Barnett,
Berkeley, acres; NJ p. Brown, 10 acres
Chas. Brook, Sr., Oakland, 10 acres; w. c.
Boutelle, Berkeley, 20 acres; Mrs. T. A Crelin
Oakland, acres; c. II. Peach, Tancred, 5
acres; II. G. Ellis, Oakland, 10 acres; ]. Van
stone, Winnipeg, 10 acres; Z. A. Vanstone
Tancred, 5 acres; E. Wadsworth, Sacramento
8 acres; NJ. A. Thomas, Oakland acres
James Graham, San Francisco, II acres; A