Sutter County
Biographies
WILSON MURRAY BUCHANAN
Among the pioneer ranchmen of Sutter County, Wilson Murray Buchanan is deserving of special mention. A man of honest integrity, upright in all of his dealings, he is held in high respect throughout his community as a valued and worthy citizen. He was born in Perry County, Pa., February 10, 1832, a son of Robert and Margaret (Murray) Buchanan, both natives of the same State, where they spent their entire lives, the death of the former occurring at the age of forty-five. He was a patriot in the War of 1812, and a worthy citizen. His wife died at the age of thirty-five years. Wilson Murray was four years old when his mother died, and eight when he lost his father; and his home for a time thereafter was with relatives. He then found employment driving a canal boat on the Pennsylvania and Maryland Canal, remaining so occupied for about two months, when, at the age of sixteen years, he enlisted in the regular army. Following his enlistment he spent two months at the Carlisle Military School, after which he went with his company to meet the troops returning from the Mexican War. He served in the regular army for five years, being stationed on the Texas frontier under Colonel Harney, engaged principally in Indian scouting, and in the quartermaster’s department making up pack trains at headquarters in San Antonio, Texas. After the expiration of his term of service he purchased an eighteen-mule team and engaged in freighting until 1860, when he traded the team for sheep and located on a ranch at Plano, Texas. Upon the breaking out of the Civil War he put his sheep out on shares and enlisted in Company C, 32nd Regiment, Texas Cavalry, of the Confederate Army, being appointed sergeant and serving for three years, after which he was promoted to a lieutenancy. He served in Texas and Louisiana until the close of the war, during which he never received a wound now was taken prisoner. After Lee’s surrender he resumed the sheep business for a couple of years, and then, on June 6, 1867, sold out and went to New Orleans, and thence to Omaha, Nebr., and after the building of the Union Pacific into Julesburg, Colo., was teamster there for the Wells Fargo & Company Express, going from that point to Fort Russell and other military posts. He remained so occupied during that summer, after which he joined the train of Major Biggers to Cheyenne, Wyo., which was then the terminus of the Union Pacific Railroad, supplying the posts of the railroad company.
In April, 1868, Mr. Buchanan began work as a teamster in the construction work on the North Platte, and continued there until the connection of the track at Promontory in 1869. He then came as far west as Cedar Pass, where he was employed by the Central Pacific Railway for a short time, after which he came to Sacramento, and a few days later to Woodland, Cal. His first employment there was on the threshing machines during that summer, and then he worked in a lumber yard in Woodland for about a month, after which he was engaged in the sheep industry at Red Bluff. In September he returned East on a visit to Pennsylvania, making the trip via Panama. Two months later he again located in California and, after a short time in Marysville, settled on a ranch in Sutter County. He was principally occupied in chopping wood during that winter and the following summer, and in the fall of 1873 purchased 160 acres, paying eleven dollars per acre for what was then only timber and brush land. He cleared the property and prepared it for cultivation; and here he became a successful farmer. Mr. Buchanan still owns 130 acres of the tract, which is now farmed by his sons.
At Live Oak, on January 6, 1888, Mr. Buchanan was married to Miss Isabelle Johnson, born in Sacramento, Cal., the second of a family of six children born to the late John and Catherine (Curfee) Johnson, both natives of England and early settlers of California. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Buchanan. Robert Melvin is a rancher on the home place. Wilson M., Jr., is an ex-service man in the Medical Corps, U.S.A.; he is married and resides on the home place. Dora is now the wife of Harry G. Lutz; they have four children and reside at Roseville, Cal. One son died in infancy. Mr. Buchanan served for several years as school director of his district. Since 1888 he has belonged to North Butte Lodge No. 267, I.O.O.F., at Pennington, Cal., and is now the oldest member belonging to that lodge.
History of Yuba and Sutter Counties, Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, 1924
p. 520-521
J. AUGUSTUS WILKINSON
An especially worth pioneer whom Californians will long delight to honor, and whose unaffected record must become a part of the history of the Golden State, was the late J. Augustus Wilkinson, who hailed from Michigan, coming from Edwardsburg across the great plains by ox-team in the famous Argonaut year of 1849. He mined at Dog Town; and having made his pile, he returned East and married Miss Emily Louise Heddon, a popular lady of Cass County, Mich., who was born in Rock Island, Ill., on January 13, 1839 and brought with her to the West the womanly virtues of her Illinois home.
The happy couple came out to California by way of Panama, in 1864, and bought 160 acres of ranch land near Harty Corners, just north of Yuba City. They cultivated the tract; and after bringing it up to a high state of productivity, they sold the property and moved to Live Oak, many years ago. For thirteen years Mr. Wilkinson was postmaster of Live Oak, and he was also justice of the peace. In politics an influential Republican, he became very well and favorably known in Sutter County as a most progressive man; and when he breathed his last, on October 4, 1914, his passing was widely recognized as a district loss to his community. A son, George Courtland Wilkinson, has also passed away, after an enviable record.
Following the demise of her husband, Mrs. Wilkinson remarried; and the later story of her life is given in the review of her second husband, Alfred Greet, which also forms a part of this historical work.
History of Yuba and Sutter Counties, Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, 1924
p. 538