Kings County
Biographies
Z. D. BEALL
a vineyardist and rancher east of Lemoore, was born in Ripley County, Indiana, in 1852. His grandfather, Z. Beall, was a native of Pennsylvania, but settled in Ripley County in 1818, where the father of our subject was born in 1822. Z. D. Beall lived at home until twenty-three years of age, securing a common-school education and assisting his father upon the farm. In 1875 he came to California with four companions from his native town, and after landing at Visalia they found occupation upon Bacon’s ranches as farm hands. In 1877 Mr. Beall went to Lemoore, and after four years passed in farm work he entered into partnership with Joel W. Williams, in working 240 acres of land. After securing one crop they dissolved partnership, and in the fall of 1882 Mr. Beall purchased his present ranch of eighty acres, two miles east of Lemoore. He also rented land and farmed annually about 200 acres until the spring of 1889, when he set out ten acres in vines and devoted his time to the improvement of his own ranch. He now has twenty-four acres in vines, ten acres in peaches and prunes, sixteen acres in alfalfa, and the remainder in farm land. He raises a few horses, and his fine piece of alfalfa and well-kept vineyard indicate watchful management in the line of agriculture which he is pursuing.
Memorial and Biographical History of the counties of Fresno, Tulare and Kern, California
Chicago, The Lewis Publishing Company, 1892 p.626
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler
AMBROSE CADWELL
one of the successful ranchers and sheep men of the San Joaquin valley, was born in Onondaga County, New York, in 1835. When but one year old he was left a half-orphan by the death of his father, after which he remained with his mother until sixteen years of age, and then worked out at farming. In 1860 he came to California, via the Panama route, and after arriving at San Francisco he went to Pacheco, Contra Costa County, where he engaged in farming, butchering and stock business. He purchased 600 acres of land, and raised a very fine class of horses, of the Sir John strain and Kentucky stock. In 1872 Mr. Cadwell moved to Elko County, Nevada, pre-empted land, and farmed and teamed until 1877. He then returned to California, settling in Fresno County, where he bought 4,620 acres of land four miles northwest of Madera. There he followed the sheep business about eight years, having a band ranging from 3,000 to 14,500 head, and met with marked success, as he was perfectly familiar with every branch of the business. In 1885 he sold his ranch and part of his sheep, sending about 2,000 head to Texas to take advantage of that market, and also purchased 1,200 head, at $4 each, to swell the number, all of which were placed in the hands of a manager, who, through dishonest measures, sold the band and defrauded Mr. Cadwell out of about $18,000. In 1885 our subject purchased the hotel property in Borden, at a cost of $7,000, and after running it three years he sold out for $20,000. He then came to Tulare County, purchased 160 acres two and a half miles southeast of Lemoore, seventeen acres of which is planted in fruit, seventy acres in alfalfa and the remainder is farm land. His alfalfa cuts sixteen tons to the acre, and he considers the crop worth $1,000 per year. He also owns 320 acres three miles northwest of Lemoore, which is under cultivation. He has always been in the stock business; is still a breeder of fine horses, and is a watchful attendant of his ranch and business interests.
He was married at Pacheco, in 1870, to Miss Mary Emma Eagan, a native of Massachusetts. They have five children, namely: Russell, Clara, Lucy, Alice and Emma.
Memorial and Biographical History of the counties of Fresno, Tulare and Kern, California
Chicago, The Lewis Publishing Company, 1892 p. 628-629
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler