Merced County
Biographies
GEORGE K. SIMPSON
Well known as a successful farmer and vineyardist, George K. Simpson is counted among the energetic agriculturists of the Livingston section of Merced County. A native son of Merced County, he has witnessed its almost marvelous development and progress, and has well performed his part in those transformation scenes that have changed the wild and uncultivated tracts of land into waving fields of grain, productive vineyards and fruitful orchards. A son of Thomas Jefferson Simpson, he was born on December 7, 1871, in Merced County, within one mile of the town of Livingston.
A native of Tennessee, Thomas Jefferson Simpson located in Texas while still a young man and was there married to Miss Rebecca Hardy, a native of Virginia, but reared in Texas. During the Mexican War, when only sixteen, he volunteered his services, but the war was over before he reached the front. Then he helped an uncle who had a contract to furnish horses to the United States government; this was a hazardous undertaking, fraught with hardships and dangers, but was accomplished without serious mishap. He came to California via Panama in 1852, and engaged in mining for a time; returning to Texas he was married, and in 1858, with his wife and eldest son, returned to California via the Isthmus of Panama. He again engaged in mining, then conducted a store at Don Pedro, Tuolumne County; later he removed with his family to Snelling and engaged in ranching. He next purchased 214 acres near Livingston, on the Merced River, where the Central Pacific Railroad built a bridge across that stream. It is related that Thomas Jefferson Simpson was the only farmer in this vicinity who ever received money from the railroad company for a right-of-way; but it was accomplished by force, even resorting to carrying a shotgun and forcing from the company's agents and employees, pay for the right-of-way. Five children blessed this union: Ben, the eldest, born in Texas, is now an employe of the Sugar Pine Lumber Company at Sugar Pine, Cal.; Otis, a rancher, lives across the road from our subject; Virginia, married John Gardner and is deceased; Thomas Jefferson, Jr., deceased; and George K. is the subject of this sketch. The mother of our subject passed away when he was only fourteen years old; the father lived to be fifty-eight years old.
George K. Simpson attended the district school near his father's farm and at an early age went to work for Hammatt and Crowell on their ranch near Livingston. In 1920 he located on his present home place, which consists of forty acres owned jointly by himself and William T. White. When Mr. Simpson located on this place it was wholly unimproved. In the spring of 1920 he made his first plantings of Thompson seedless grapes; this was before there was any irrigation project and he pumped the water and watered his newly planted vineyard by hand. This section is ideal for raisin culture and now the land is irrigated by the Merced Irrigation District and soon the vineyard will be in full bearing.
In 1914 Mr. Simpson was married to Miss Alice De Neves, a daughter of M. J. De Neves, a prominent rancher and fruit grower of Atwater, Cal., who died April 1, 1925. Mr. and Mrs. Simpson are the parents of three children: George K. Jr., Virginia Alice, and Hauleymay Elizabeth. Mr. Simpson is a consistent Democrat and pays due attention to principles and qualifications of candidates.
History of Merced County, California – Los Angeles, Historic Record Co., 1925
page 592-593
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler
MODESTO V. BALEME
One of the well-known ranchers of Merced County, Modesto V. Baleme has been identified with agriculture here in the San Joaquin Valley for over forty years, and it has been a long journey from the poor boy, who landed in a new country without funds, or even a working knowledge of the new language, to the successful man who is now an integral part of the country's citizenry. Born June 15, 1852, in Canton Ticino, Switzerland, he is the son of Andrew J. and Mary (Bary) Baleme, both natives of that country, and farmers by occupation. Educated in the public schools of Switzerland, he came to the United States when a lad of sixteen, arriving in 1868, and with no knowledge of English, started to look for work to earn a living.
The young adventurer worked his way to California, and here took a job on the De Martini dairy ranch, near Petaluma. There he worked steadily for two years, and then, for the next twelve months, worked for Charles Love, on the coast of Marin County. He saved his money, and was soon able to send home his fare, which had been advanced him. His good mother died in 1871. In the evenings, when his day's work was finished—and it was a full day's work, in those days—he learned the English language, being helped by the tutoring of Mrs. Love, for he was fortunate in having unusually kind employers. After the three years spent in ranch work, Mr. Baleme went to San Francisco, and for the following three years was employed as a stevedore in the metropolis. From there he went to Stockton, and there worked for Meyer Brothers for three years on their grain ranch. He then came further north again, and took a position as foreman on the K. Fly ranch, in Napa Valley.
In 1883, he came to the San Joaquin to stay, first locating in Turlock, where he entered the employ of the late J. B. Osborn, and finally went into the employ of the late J. W. Mitchell, extensive stockman and rancher, as a teamster and warehouseman. He remained in his employ as foreman at Central Camp, and later established another camp, named Modesto Camp, and here he made a wonderful success as a buttermaker; the M. B. brand was known throughout the valley, and was the most popular butter carried in the Merced stores. Mr. Baleme made weekly trips to Merced with produce, and had no trouble in disposing of his output, for it was the best seller on the market. In the meantime, he made an investment in land on his own account, purchasing forty acres, six miles west of town, later adding ten acres to his holdings, and engaged in grain-raising; as his sons matured, he took them on as partners, at the same time conducting a more extensive business on leased lands, marketing his wheat, which was the principal crop, at Garibaldi Mills, Merced. In 1920, he sold out his mules to the Heinz Company, and bought a 75-h.p. C. L. Best tractor, and invested in his present ten-acre home place, one mile from Merced, where he enjoys the comforts of a newly-built, strictly modern home. He has set out his acreage to peach trees, which will soon be in bearing, making his place one of the show places of this section. He also owns residence property in Merced, and other desirable securities, and can surely be said to have reached success through his own unaided efforts, adding value to the section he chose for a home, and doing his share in its development.
The marriage of Mr. Baleme, in Modesto, in 1886, united him with Louise Hamilton, who was born in San Jose, the eldest of seven children in the family of Alex Hamilton, whose father was a Forty-niner, and he himself came to California in 1858. He married Mary Ferrett, a native of New Orleans, and his death occurred at the age of sixty-three; in 1870, the family moved to Paradise City. They were also farmer folk. Thirteen children blessed the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Baleme: John A., of Cressey; James E.; Loretta Berry; Albert V.; Louise M. Furtado; Helen Ellis; George F.; Josephine Tetzlaff; Fred M.; Walter W.; Mary E.; Irene Lorraine; and Emma N. Adams. There are nineteen grandchildren in the family. A Republican in politics, Mr. Baleme received his citizenship papers in Merced. Fraternally, he has been a Knight of Pythias since 1884, when he joined the Turlock lodge.
History of Merced County, California – Los Angeles, Historic Record Co., 1925
page 593-595
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler