Butte County
Biographies
JOSEPH B. MULLEN
JOSEPH B. MULLEN was born August 31, 1842, in Louisa county, Iowa. He is a son of Charles W. and Phoebe (Merŕitt) Mullen. When sixteen years of age he crossed the plains to California, and made his first settlement on the place he now owns, then the home of his father and brother, who had preceded him to the state. From here he removed to Santa Clara, and was married in the town of Santa Clara to Miss Nannie E. Langford, daughter of Pleasant S. and Sarah M. Langford, on the fifth of October, 1868. Mrs. Mullen was born in Jefferson county, Iowa, August 1, 1849. Five children have blessed their union: Willie E., born in Santa Clara, November 17, 1869; Robbie L., born in Concow, October 10, 1871; Charles P., in Concow, September 8, 1873; Maud Rowena, in Concow, December 1, 1875; and John Oscar, born January 7, 1879. Mr. Mullen is a member of the I.O.O.F. at Cherokee. He is a strict temperance man, and a member of Welcome lodge, No. 104, of Good Templars, of which order he is district deputy for Butte county. His farm consists of 160 acres, handsomely located in Concow valley, on which he has a hotel that he is making first-class in every respect. The location of the house is 2,000 feet above the sea level, and offers every inducement to tourists. A view of it may be seen on another page.
History of Butte County, California: From its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time - Vol. II - Harry L. Wells & W. L. Chambers - 547 Clay Street, San Francisco, Cal., 1882.
Transcribed by: Betty Wilson
JOHN BARNEY MUSHOLT
JOHN BARNEY MUSHOLT was born in Prussia, July 4, 1836, emigrated to this country in 1854, and settled at Quincy, Illinois, where he learned the harness-trade, which he worked at about four years. He then started for the Pacific coast, arriving in Butte county late in the spring of 1858. In the fall of 1869, Mr. Musholt was married in San Francisco to Miss Ellen Schwestring, by whom he had five children, four of whom are still living. Mrs. Musholt died April 4, 1880. Mr. Musholt is one of the leading and most successful farmers in Butte county. His ranch consists of 3,400 acres of good land situated in Hamilton township. A view of his pleasant residence appears in this work. He makes sheep-raising the principal feature of his farming, having no less than three thousand head at present.
History of Butte County, California: From its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time - Vol. II - Harry L. Wells & W. L. Chambers - 547 Clay Street, San Francisco, Cal., 1882.
Transcribed by: Betty Wilson
GEORGE H. NORMAN
The subject of this sketch was born in Denmark, in 1834, and came directly to California, in the year 1853. For eight years thereafter he was engaged in mining on Poorman’s creek, Rich bar, and other places in Plumas county. In 1860, he was engaged as a messenger for F.B. Whiting, traveling mostly between Quincy and La Porte. In 1862, he began the express business for himself, between Gibsonville, Eureka Mills, Mohawk valley, Nelson point, and other places. In 1871, he established the first drug-store in Gridley, in connection with which he practiced dentistry, both of which occupation he still successfully follows. Mr. Norman has been justice of the peace in Hamilton township fir seven years, and in addition to his other avocations conducts a general insurance business. He was married in 1867 to Mary J. Greenwell, and has a family of three sons and one daughter.
History of Butte County, California: From its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time - Vol. II - Harry L. Wells & W. L. Chambers - 547 Clay Street, San Francisco, Cal., 1882.
Transcribed by: Betty Wilson
SAMUEL OGDEN
SAMUEL OGDEN was born at Lancashire, in the year 1832. His father died when he was seven years of age, and his mother, accompanied by her son, came to the United States in 1842, and located at Warsaw, Illinois. Samuel started out for himself when he was ten years of age, and worked in that part of Louis, Sierra county. In 1861, he started a fast-freight line from Marysville to St. Louis, which he ran till 1865. He went to ranching at that time, near Dayton. In 1879, he bought a claim on Middle Butte creek, two miles south of Dogtown, where he proposes to make a home.
History of Butte County, California: From its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time - Vol. II - Harry L. Wells & W. L. Chambers - 547 Clay Street, San Francisco, Cal., 1882.
Transcribed by: Betty Wilson
JOHN POLLOCK
John Pollock, the second son of Thomas and Mary (Morrill) Pollock, was born January 13, 1830. His father was born in Columbiana county, Ohio, in 1803, and his mother was a native of Pennsylvania. Thomas Pollock removed in an early day to Richland county, Ohio, where he engaged in farming, remaining on the first place settled until his twelve children were born. In boyhood, John worked on the farm, attending school a little in winter. In 1856, he removed to Cass county, Iowa, and began farming. Three years after he started with his family, two yoke of oxen and one of cows, for Pike’s peak. He changed his resolve, and kept straight on across the continent, arriving in Strawberry valley September 15, 1859. They immediately began working by the month for Samuel Danville, on the Oncut, at fifty dollars a month for himself and wife. Here they staid until the fall of 1860, when, with Samuel Jeffrey and S. L. Frost, Jr., they rented the place and worked it for one year. Mr. Pollock then rented Obed Sawtelle’s ranch, and afterwards D. W. Cheeseman’s. On the eleventh of November, 1867, he purchased the place on which he now resides, of John S. Morris. There were then three hundred acres, poorly improved, but he has increased the ranch to 640 acres. Mr. Pollock was married to Miss Jane C. Vandorn, daughter of Cornelius and Mary (Wilkinson) Vandorn, also of Richland county, Ohio, on the twentieth of March, 1851. The elegant house, situated on the Feather river road from Marysville to Oroville, was erected in the fall of 1880 and spring of 1881. In 1877, they returned to Ohio for a short visit of a few months. Mr. Pollock is a man highly honored and respected by the community in which he lives.
History of Butte County, California: From its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time - Vol. II - Harry L. Wells & W. L. Chambers - 547 Clay Street, San Francisco, Cal., 1882.
Transcribed by: Betty Wilson