The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-01-18
A CAPaf COLONY.
Busy Fruit Growers in Pretty
Yolo Valley-Tancred and It's
Adjoining Farms

TN THE SPRING OF LAST WEAR
Robert A. and Neal D. Barker associated
themselves with William Mckay, all of Oak.
land. with view of searching out suitable
location in which to engage in the proftabIe
occupation of fruit-growing. After VISITING
many localities, they decided on the Capav
valley, Yolo County, and the Rhodes tract al
Tancred
Negotiations were opened with the Capav
valley Land Company, owning the tract in
question. With W. n. Mills, the General
Agent OF that company, they arranged for the
purchase of about 22o acres of foothfn land
This being more than they had thought OF
taxing for their own use, they spoke to .
number of friends about it, with the result
that the tract was divided among the follow.
ing people: B. L. Ricl1ok, 40 acres; W. II
Barnett, 20 acres; n. T. Greathead. 90 acres.
Mrs. L. Greathead, 20 acres; w. Mckay On
acres; N. D. Barker, 20 acres: r. A Bart,er
70 acres; j. P. Brownlee, 90 acres; Il. H. Has.
lett 10 acres; Joseph Barker, 10 acres; A. w.
Kelly 10 acres, and Frederick Kelly. / O acres
80 lar this had been merely private ven.
ture OF the gentlemen above named hut II,
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 if was suo.
gested on all hands, ''Why not get some more
land and divide it up in the same way?p
Then followed the idea of a stock company to
take hold Of larger tract and arrange for thu
cultivation of the whole of it, after subdivfdino
1t according to the requirements of the sinh.
ecribers. A provisional board was formed a
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, n. P. Brown:
Directors-H. c. Ellis, Charles Brooke and
r. A. Barker; Secretary and General Manager.
Neal ID. 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 tba
purchase OF a large number of fruit trees
vines, etc. This early purchase of trees was
tne means OF saving between $4,000 and
T-'"NS ~ IAAS SOAhi kJttLS, Tie prices IL 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 unfnter-
rupted. Those who went into it doubtinrlv
have become enthusiastic, and almost all the
members arranged to set cut all their lands in
iruit trees, ETC., the first year. Consequently
in this, the first season, some AZ, 600 trees and
between 10000 and 10000 vines will be
pIanreo.
The satisfactory working of this scheme has
naa the effect of attracting considerable at
tenton 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 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 he so
long neglected is a puzzle to everv 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
neutrality-suspicious., apricots Bartlett pears
prunes- dgs, raisin grapes, etc, while along
both sides OF the avenues, throughout tBe
tract, walnuts viii throw their graceful shade
A considerable,numbe OF citrus trees are also
being set out; quite q sufficient number to
demonstrate that these fruits can be success.
tuIly grown in the valley, about which the
coIonists 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
erlbed much of the success of the ventura
Menuon should be made of the tOyyn-site
about which there is a pleasant innovation
which might with profit be followed by more
ambitious places. 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 diIigent
search and wise expenditure of money. 1t
is not expected that Tancred will ever he q
large and busy city, but it is thought that IL
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
Iancred Station. The Tancred coIonists arc
quite willing TO give the necessary right of
way, and are very DESTROYS 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 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 q list of the principal mem
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 q pro-
vision that no intoxicating liquor shall ever
be manufactured or sold on the land. The an.
parent success O. the enterprise shows that
the ideas and plans of the colony as set forth
in the prospectus some time ago, are notim-
practicable: G. T. Hull, Berkeley, acres; w.
?. Harmon, Oakland, ii acres; G. S. Kasson,
San Francisco, II acres; Jos. Barker, / 0 acres;
A. w. Kelly, Kincardine, Ont, acres; n. T.
Greatbead, 3 acres; r. G.. Greathead, Oakland
10 acres; r. A. Barker, San Francisco, 10
acres; n. d. Barker, Tancred, 10 acres; Or. X.
Favor, San Francisco, ~ acres; j. P. Brownlee,
Kincardine, Ont, 8 acres; w. Z. Barnett,
Berkeley, 8 acres; NJ. 2. Brown, 10 acres;
Chas. Brook, ST., Oakland, 10 acres; W. G.
Boutelle, Berkeley, 20 acres; Mrs. T. A. Crelin,
Oakland, 3 acres; G. II. Peach, Tancred, ;
scres III. G. Ellis, Oakland, 10 acres; ]. Van
stone, Winnipeg, 10 acres; f. a. Vanstone,
Tanered, acres; e. Wadsworth, Sacramento,
8 acres; NJ. A. Thomas, Oakland, s acres;
James Graham, San Francisco, II acres; A.
stark, IL acres; j. Stark, 10 acres; Mrs. NJ
Vrooman, acres; G. E. Shook, 10 acres; C.
t. Greathead, IL acres; VIM. Mckay, 8 acres;