Mendocino County
Biographies
Copsey, D. M.
D. M. Copsey. Born in Indiana January 12, 1832. At the age of eight years his parents moved to Missouri, where he was reared on a farm and resided until 1850, when he immigrated to California, crossing the plains with ox-teams, arriving at Georgetown September 12th of the same year. After mining for one year he returned, via Panama, to Missouri, and there farmed until 1856, when he recrossed the plains to California and located in Lake county and engaged in farming, stock-raising and milling until 1873, when he came to this county and located on Dry creek, where he is at the present writing being engaged in stock, wool-growing and milling business. He owns about six hundred acres of land. Married, December 14, 1851, Jane Asbill, a native of Kentucky. William N. R., Alamander N., Henry C., Harland B. and Isabelle M., are the names of their children.
SOURCE: History of Mendocino County, California - San Francisco, Cal. Alley, Bowen & Co., Publishers. 1880 Pp. 610
Transcribed by Pat Howard
Duncan, Elijah H.
Elijah H. Duncan, Whose portrait appears in this work, is a native of Tennessee, born December 8, 1824. When about eight years of age his parents moved to Missouri, where the subject of this memoir received his early education. At the age of eighteen he was bereft of father and mother, and was then thrown upon his own resources. He at once found employment in a tannery, where he labored for twelve years. In 1856 he started across the plains for California with a drove of one hundred and sixty head of cattle, but lost forty head in making the trip. He arrived in Sonoma county September 7, 1856, locating six miles east of Healdsburg, and engaged in stock business for nearly two years. In July, 1858, became a resident of this county, locating on land at the mouth of Feliz or Dry creek; here he resided, being engaged in farming and stock-raising, until the fall of 1879, when he purchased four hundred and sixty acres one mile up the creek where he is engaged in farming and sheep-raising. Two of his sons, Samuel and Elijah, are working the original farm, and have eighteen acres of hops. Mr. Duncan married, April 15, 1856, Elizabeth Craddock, a native of Tennessee. By this union they have nine living children: Samuel, Ellen, Lucy, Elijah, Thomas, Robert, William, Frank and Alice.
SOURCE: History of Mendocino County, California - San Francisco, Cal. Alley, Bowen & Co., Publishers. 1880 Pp. 610
Transcribed by Pat Howard
Fox, B. B.
B. B. Fox. Born in Huron county, Ohio, June 8, 1834, where he received his early education, and lived upon a farm until sixteen years of age, when he left his parents and set out for California, crossing the plains with mule-teams, arriving at Hangtown (Placerville) September 3, 1849. After remaining here for a few days he proceeded to Cold Spring and engaged in mining for one year; thence to Sacramento, and engaged in freighting from there to the mines, an occupation he followed for seven years. In 1858 he came to this county and rented four thousand acres of land eight miles south of Ukiah, where he, in company with Charles Kier, engaged in the stock business for one year. Kier then returned to Sacramento, and Mr. Fox moved to the foot-hills west of Ukiah, where he engaged in stock business for two years; then sold out and became interested in the livery business in Ukiah, which he conducted for two years, when he became interested with John Henry and they purchased nineteen hundred and sixty acres of land eight miles south from Ukiah, being a portion of the ranch Mr. Fox rented when he first came to the county, which they conducted jointly until 1875, when they divided the land, Mr. Fox taking the west side of the road, seven hundred acres, where he has resided ever since, being engaged in farming and stock-raising. In 1879 was elected Supervisor, an office he now holds. Married, April 19, 1862, Jane T., daughter of William Henry. By this union they have three children, Nellie, Alice and Minnie.
SOURCE: History of Mendocino County, California - San Francisco, Cal. Alley, Bowen & Co., Publishers. 1880 Pp. 611
Transcribed by Pat Howard
Gould, Thomas J.
Thomas J. Gould. Born in Dearborn county, Indiana, June 2, 1830, where he resided on a farm until seventeen years of age, when he commenced an apprenticeship to the blacksmith trade, which he followed until 1852, when he crossed the plains to California with ox-teams. On arriving at Webber creek, August 14th of the above year, he engaged at once in his previous vocation, in the mines, which he followed until 1857, when he moved to Cloverdale, Sonoma county, where he followed his trade until 1866, when he returned to the East, and after an absence of about six months, again returned to California. He then, in company with W. T. Brush and D. W. Walker, came to Mendocino county and built a steam saw-mill on Dry creek. After spending about six months in this enterprise, the subject of this sketch sold his interests to his partners and returned to Cloverdale, where he built a livery stable, which, as soon as finished, he traded for his present property, consisting of six hundred and forty acres, located in Sanel township, on Dry creek, where he now resides, and is engaged in stock-raising and wool-growing. He married, April 4, 1855, Miss Martha J. Comer, a native of Ohio.
SOURCE: History of Mendocino County, California - San Francisco, Cal. Alley, Bowen & Co., Publishers. 1880 Pp. 611
Transcribed by Pat Howard