Santa Clara County
Biographies
OTTO ABEL
Fruit Grower
SURNAMES; Michel, Baumgartner,
An enterprising rancher of the Santa Clara Valley, who by industry and
perseverance has succeeded in accumulating a substantial competence, and
comfortable home, is Otto Abel, who owns a fine orchard on the Homestead Road.
He was born in the Rhine Province, Germany, June 22, 1865, the son of John and
Eva Abel, both natives of that county, and there he was reared on a farm and
received his education, remaining at home until he was eighteen years old, when
he left home, bound for America and California. He settled first in the
Sacramento Valley and did farm work for ten years near Marysville, Cal., then
removing to the Santa Clara Valley he bought ten acres on the Foxworthy Road.
For five years he farmed this place and worked for neighboring farmers, thus
enabling him to pay for his ranch. He resided on this place for twelve years,
then disposed of it and rented a fifteen-acre fruit ranch, and ran this for two
years; then in 1907 he bought the thirty-acre orchard on the Homestead Road.
This ranch was set to prunes, but was an old orchard and Mr. Abel pulled out the
old trees and planted in anew; also built a new house and other buildings,
making substantial and attractive improvements.
Mr. Abel's marriage occurred in the fall of 1894 in Sacramento and united him
with Miss Eva Michel , a native daughter of Adam and Margaret Michel. Both
parents were natives of Rhine Province in Germany, and were farmers there. They
are the parents of three children; Anna, now Mrs. H. J. Baumgartner, residing on
a ranch; Lawrence resides in Sunnyvale; and Edward lives at home with his
parents. Mr. Abel disposed of ten acres of his ranch in 1915; retaining the
balance of twenty acres.
Transcribed by Carolyn Feroben, from Eugene T. Sawyers' History of Santa Clara
County, California,
published by Historic Record Co. , 1922. page 1396