Colusa County
Biographies
JOHN SITES
This gentleman is a native of Hesse, Germany, and was born October 4, 1832. He came to America in 1834, accompanying his father, Henry Sites, and located in St. Charles County, Missouri, where he assisted his father on the farm, and hired out among the neighbors. On April 16, 1850, he left Missouri with a Mr. Fisher, on his way to California, he having previously agreed that in consideration of Fisher’s bringing him to this State, he would work for him nine months after his arrival. They arrived at Placerville on August 4. Having worked for Mr. Fisher as agreed, he began working on his account at Downieville, but being taken ill of typhoid fever, he was obliged to relinquish employment. He next went to Cache Creek, in Yolo County, and took up one hundred and sixty acres adjoining his old friend Fisher. In 1853 he sold this place, bought some cattle, and after a year or more was enabled to go in company with Fisher and buy cattle on a large scale. There were brought to Antelope Valley, Colusa County. He continued in the cattle business till 1858, when he purchased his present home place, adding to it occasionally. His farm embraces nearly six thousand acres of land on the county road west of Stony Creek Valley, twenty-three miles northwest of the county seat, and on the place is located the village of Sites, the present terminus of the Colusa and Lake Railroad.
Mr. Sites was married to Miss Laura E. Aycoke, of Colusa County, on October 3, 1867. The ceremony was performed by Major Stephen Cooper, then a justice of the peace. Two children were born to them, John Henry and Martha L. Sites.
“Colusa County” – by Justus H. Rogers – Orland, CA – 1891 – pp 457
JOSEPH BILLIOU
Joseph Billiou resides near St. John, some thirty-seven miles north of Colusa. He was born in St. Louis County, Missouri, in 1839, and was engaged in farming in that State until 1856, when he came to California. After arriving at San Francisco he was not long in looking about him, but came up the Sacramento Valley, and immediately found work on the Capay Grant, owned by Richard J. Walsh. And he has remained there ever since, and now owns a portion of the same grant on which he labored thirty-four years ago. He is estimated to be worth $150,000. His career shows what industry, and adherence to a settled purpose in life, may accomplish. It is an object lesson for every young man in the State.
In 1864 he married Miss Julia Stack, a native of Ireland, by whom he had four children. A terrible disaster overwhelmed the happy domestic circle of Mr. Billiou on April 6, 1887, in the killing of his wife by a Chinese cook in his employ, named Hong Di. (The particulars of this atrocious murder are given on page 230.)
“Colusa County” – by Justus H. Rogers – Orland, CA – 1891 – pp 457-458
C. D. RADCLIFFE
Charles Daniel Radcliffe is a native of Bureau County, Illinois, born in the year 1866. He commenced work as “printer’s devil” in 1880, and, after learning the trade, worked for four years as type-setter and reporter on various newspapers in Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, and Omaha, Nebraska. In 1887 he came to Colusa, and purchased a half interest in the “Herald,” of that place, and in the following year became its sole owner. The “Herald” is a pronounced Republican journal and a forcible advocate of home interests, and though published in a county which annually rolls up not less than nine hundred Democratic majority, the “Herald” is nevertheless appreciated and well supported. Mr. Radcliffe was married, in December, 1887, to Miss Frances Martin.
“Colusa County” – by Justus H. Rogers – Orland, CA – 1891 – pp 458
S. H. CALLEN
Seymour H. Callen, founder of the Williams “Farmer,” was born in State Centre, Marshall County, Iowa, March 20, 1866. He learned the printing trade in some of the best newspaper offices of New Mexico, and came to California May 1, 1884, arriving in Sacramento. During the campaign of 1886, he was associated with A. H. Stephens in the publication of the Cloverdale “Sentinel,” a Democratic weekly, which was afterwards disposed of to G. B. Baer, of the Cloverdale “Reveille.” After this he was employed in the State printing office, and as compositor on the San Francisco “Chronicle” and Sacramento “Bee.” Mr. Callen issued the initial number of the Williams “Farmer” August 18, 1887, and has made that journal an active agent in the promotion of the local interests of Williams. On July 1, 1890, G. W. Gay became associated with him in the publication of the “Farmer.”
Mr. Callen was married, September 12, 1887, to Miss Carrie Bell, of Cloverdale, by whom he is the father of one child.
“Colusa County” – by Justus H. Rogers – Orland, CA – 1891 – pp 458
JOHN G. OVERSHINER
Mr. Overshiner is a native of Galena, Illinois, born July 26, 1850. When a little more than a year old he was brought by his mother to Sacramento, where his father rejoined his family, having come to the coast some time previously. In 1857 the family removed to Yolo County, where young Overshiner lived in several localities for a short time, notably at Cottonwood, Washington, and Woodland, attending the public schools till he was fifteen years old, and Hesperian College for four years later. After finishing his studies, he was actively employed as clerk in the San Diego post-office, teaching in the public school at National City under a first-grade certificate, and was also a member of the San Diego County Board of School Examiners. From 1872 to 1878 he found employment in San Benito County and in San Jose, Fresno and San Francisco as clerk or book-keeper, when he applied himself to the printer’s trade in San Jose. He afterwards worked on the “Democrat” at Woodland, and was a partner in the establishment of the first daily paper issued at Santa Cruz. This venture proving unsuccessful, he worked for a time as a compositor on the San Diego and Los Angeles papers, when, in July, 1882, in conjunction with E. E. Vincent, he founded the Calico “Print,” at Calico, San Bernardino County, and continued the publication of the paper till the fall of 1887. He now struck San Diego again, this time with a job office and an advertising sheet, but as it was now in the closing days of its seductive “boom,” his prospects vanished almost immediately after his arrival there. He came again to the Sacramento Valley and began the publication of the Maxwell “Mercury,” July 14, 1888, where he is now conducting this journal, advocating with zeal and effectiveness the importance of irrigation and other local interests.
“Colusa County” – by Justus H. Rogers – Orland, CA – 1891 – pp 458-459