California Genealogy

The Madera County Historian, Volume 2, Issue 1

The Madera County Historian documents the history of Madera County and was published by the Madera Historical Society beginning in 1961. This is issue 1 of volume 2, was published in January of 1962 and totaled 8 pages. This issue starts out with the Mordecai family of Madera County who descend from Augustus Mordecai and Rosina Young of Richmond, Virginia. After the Civil War, and after their father’s death, the youngest, John Mordecai headed West by ship with others from the area in Virginia and settled in the San Joaquin Valley. His descendants would settle upon the Ranch they called … Read more

The Madera County Historian, Volume 1, Issue 4

The Madera County Historian documents the history of Madera County and was published by the Madera Historical Society beginning in 1961. This is issue 5 and totaled 8 pages. Doris and Clyde Foster, members of the Madera County Historical Society, wrote and submitted two articles on the history of the Foster Hogue Ranch. The first looks at the first hundred years of this famous ranch. The couple share interesting tidbits of factual history interspersed with the names of those pioneers who contributed to the development of the Hogue Ranch, which was actually the Ross Ranch until the Hogue family came … Read more

The Madera County Historian, Volume 1, Supplement

This alphabetical list was taken from the the original roster of John C. Fremont’s California Battalion, nine companies of volunteers which operated against the Mexican forces in California at the time of the occupation of the country by the United States (1846-1847).

The Madera County Historian, Volume 1, Issue 3

Starting on June 21, 1880, a group of Madera County friends made a camping trip to Yosemite Valley. They kept a diary of their vacation, taking turns in writing of their impressions and progress. The Daulton’s, joint editors of this article, narrate the trip for us while highlighting specific passages from the Diary itself and the words of those who wrote the Diary. Names of the authors of the Diary were C. E. Brown, his wife Matilda Gilmore Brown; Tillie’s half-brother Willie Mace; Jack and Jonathan Daulton and their sisters Ida and Agnes; and Addie Raynor.

The Madera County Historian, Volume 1, Issue 2

This issue starts with an article written by the President of the Madera County Historical Society, Nathan C. Sweet. Nathan examines an original Time Book from the E.W. Chapman Ranch situated just outside Madera, California which covered the year of 1876. He describes various facts he can elicit from it, such as the wages in 1876 for the farm hands, a description of grain raising at that time, and how straw was used for fuel. Arch Westfall gives a brief accounting of his father Fremont Westfall, and mother, Isabelle Smither, arrival and settlement in Madera County in 1895. Finally, Muriel W. Sweet describes an early trip her mother, Miss Annie Hoyt, made to Yosemite from Vassar College in 1872.

The Madera County Historian, Volume 1, Issue 1

This inaugural issue begins with a review of the Madera County Historical Society activities for the year 1960. Then Guy Crow relives the construction days of the Central Pacific Railroad as it was being built through the San Joaquin Valley to what was then the town of Berendo and now is a ghost town.

Biography of Peter N. Bondesen of Salinas California

History of Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties, California Volume 2 Title Page

Among the ranchmen and fruit growers in the region about Salinas, few have been more successful in recent years than Peter N. Bondesen. He was born in Denmark, June 8, 1866, and is a son of Nels and Celia (Smith) Bondesen. His father was a weaver by trade and in his boyhood Peter attended the local schools, where he picked up the rudiments of a practical education. When he was fifteen years of age he came to America alone and went directly to the home of his brother, Hans Bondesen, in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. For some time he worked as a … Read more

Biography of George Harper of Monterey California

History of Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties, California Volume 2 Title Page

George Harper, the superintendent and secretary of the Monterey Canning- Company, of Monterey is an experienced, progressive and thoroughly wide-awake executive. He was born in the Shetland islands, off the coast of Scotland, June 7, 1870, the son of Lawrence and Elizabeth (Ellison) Harper, worthy folks now long deceased. Having to make his own way in the world rather earlier than most boys, George Harper was trained for the most part in the school of experience. He was reared on a farm and after the manner of the Shetland Islanders, devoted not a little of his time as a boy … Read more

Biography of George F. Martin of Watsonville California

History of Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties, California Volume 2 Title Page

George F. Martin, manager of the California Pine Box Company of Watsonville, is a native of the Pajaro valley and represents one of its pioneer families. He was born on the home ranch, January 20, 1872, and his parents were Adam and Ella (Cochran) Martin. His father was a native of Germany and followed the tide of immigration to the new world, settling in Santa Cruz county, California, early in the ’60s. He located in the Riverside Road district and was one of the first to glimpse the possibilities of this region as a fruit-growing center. He had two ranches … Read more

Biography of C. J. Giacomazzi of Soledad California

History of Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties, California Volume 2 Title Page

Few men only thirty-four years of age can look back upon a more varied career than can C. J. Giacomazzi, editor and publisher of the Soledad Bee. He was born in Soledad, November 20, 1890, and is the third in order of birth in the family of four children born to Con and Sarah ( Serafina) Giacomazzi, both of whom were born in Switzerland and came to America in 1870. They first located at Watsonville, California, and in 1885 came to Soledad. For many years the father was a rancher on a rather extensive scale but retired in 1910 and … Read more