The record-union., 1892-04-16
A CAPAY COLONY,
Busy Fruit-Growers in a Pretty
Yolo Valley-Tancred and Its
Adjoining Farms

IN THE SPRING OF LAST YEAR
hooert A. and Neal D. Barker associated
themselves with William Mckay, all of Oak.
iana' with view of searching out a suitabl,
location In which to engage in the profitahls
occupation of fruit-growing After yisitin,
many localities, they decided on the Canav
valley, Yolo County, and the Rhodes tract at
Tancred.
negotiations were opened with the C,anav
valley Land Company, owning the tract in
question. With w. III. Mills, the GeneraI
-Asei4' Oh that company, they arranged for the
purchase of about 22o acres of foothill land
Inis being more than they had thought OF
taxing for their own use, they spoke to q
number of friends about it, with the respls
that the tract was divided among the follow.
ing people: B. L. Rickok, 40 acres. w. n
barnett, 20 acres; N. T. Greathead, 20 acres.
Mrs. L. Greathead, 20 acres; w. Mckay. 90
acres; N. d. Barker, 20 acres; r. A. Barker
20 acres; j. p. Brownlee, 20 acres; E. n. Has
'sU'' ~ acres; Joseph Barker, 10 acres; A. w,
neily ~ acres, and Frederick Kelly, II acres.
so lar this had been merely private ven.
ture OF the gentlemen above named. but I'm
taking up the question of dividing the land
already purchased 1t was found that so 1nanv
more would Ike to join it than the area Of the
purchase would admit OF, that It was sug-
gested on all hands, "Why not get some mora
land and divide it up in the same wav9n
Ihen followed the idea of a stock company To
Jake hoid OF a larger tract and arrange for the
cultivation of thewhole of 1t, after subdfytdins
II according to the requirements of the sub.
ccrlbers. A provisional board was formed a
prospectus issued, and finally, on the 5th Of
June, 1890, the Western Co-operative Col
onlzatlon and Improvement Company was
dIly registered and proceeded to business.
with the following officers: President. Will
lam Mckay; Vice-President, NJ. P. Brown.
D1rectors-H Q. 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. a contract was entered into for the
purchase OF a large number of fruit trees.
vines, etc. This early purchase of trees was
tne 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 tho
progress of the company has been uninter-
rupted. Those who went into it doubtinglv
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
pIanreu.
Inc 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 DESTROYS of
joining in with them. An additional goo
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
TINS 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 will never again ba
felt in the valley.
Inc fruits set out are mostly of the standard
neutrality-suspicious., apricots, Bartlett pears,
prunes, ngs, ralsin grapes, ETC., while along
both sides of the avenues, throughout the
tract, walnuts will throw their graceful shade.
A considerableInumbero 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
D. Barker, General Manager of the company.
resides on the tract and to his care is to be az.
crfoed much OF the success of the venture
Mention should be made OF the toyn-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 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 a
large and busy city, but it is thought that II
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 tho
settlers on the east side Of the creek access to
Tancred Station. The Tancred colonists ara
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 1t
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 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 q 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 a 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 Inn
practicable: G. T. Hull, Berkeley, acres: w.
p. Harmon, Oakland, IA acres; g 8. Kasson,
San Francisco, II acres; Jos. Barker, 10 acres;
A. w Kelly, Kincardine, Ont, acres: N. T.
Greathead, 5 acres; r. G. Greathead. Oakland
10 acres; Z. A. Barker, San Francisco, 10
acres; n. D. Barker, Tancred, 10 acres; DR.. Z.
Favor, San Francisco, 81 acres; j. P. BrownIee,
Kincardine, Ont, 9 acres; w. T. Barnett,
Berkeley, acres; NJ. p. Brown, 10 acres:
Chas. Brook, ST., Oakland, 10 acres; w. c.
Boutelle, Berkeley, 90 acres; Mrs. T. A. Crelin,
Oakland, 8 acres; @. H. Peach, Tancred, 5
acres; III. G. Ellis, Oakland, 10 acres; j. Van.
stone. winnipeg, ~ acres; u. A. Vanstone,
Tancred, 5 acres; E. Wordsworth, Sacramento,
acres; NJ. A. Thomas, Oakland, acres:
James Graham, San Francisco, IL acres; A..
Stark, IL acres; ]. Stark, 10 acres Mrs. NJ.
Vrooman, 5 acres; G. e. Shook 10 acres. q
T. Greathead, IL acres; VIM. Mckay. 6 acres:
Mrs. VIM. Mckay, Oakland, 5 acres: Mrs e.
G. Wooley, Brooklyn, N. Y, 10 acres; Mrs. III.
Beckley, Oakland, 5 acres; T. A. Marriott 8
acres; j. G. Harrison, Tancred, s acres. The
land reserved by the Colony Company. in.
dingciu townsite, consists of 81 acres,