Sutter County
Biographies
FOSTER E. WINSHIP.
Worthily representing the historic Winship district of Sutter County, in which he was born, on the old Winship place, Foster E. Winship is rightly esteemed as an unusually progressive and prosperous rancher. He first saw the light on February 15, 1897, the son of Oliver and Eliza (Ross) Winship, the former having also been born on the Winship ranch. Grandfather Isaac A. Winship hailed from Massachusetts, where he was born on the 4th of July, 1822; and from that State he went forth, in 1847, to become a soldier in defence [sic] of his native country in the Mexican War. He was a year and a half in the field, and then returned to Massachusetts for six months, after which he started across the great plains for California, setting out in the autumn season. On his arrival in California, he was cook of the Bell House at Nicolaus for some time, but in 1853 he removed to the Sacramento River country, and located on the very place where our subject now lives, engaging in agriculture from that time on. Oliver Winship was one of a family of seven children, and was reared and educated in the Winship district. Mrs. Winship was a native of Scotland, who came to California with her parents about forty years ago; and here she was married to Oliver Winship, on the old Winship ranch, which embraces 160 acres. Oliver Winship made his home in the old Winship House until August, 1922, when he removed to Berkeley, where he now resides. He and his wife have been always highly esteemed. Five children made up their family: Chester, the principal of one of the grammar schools in Yuba City; Foster, of this review; Desmond, in Berkeley; Shyrlie, Mrs. K. L. Brown of Marysville; and Nylda, at Berkeley.
Foster E. Winship went to the Winship district school, and later farmed for a year in that district, just getting well started in agricultural pursuits when he responded to the call for service in the World War and entered the United States Navy, on June 3, 1918. He was sent to the Naval Reserve at San Pedro for nine months, and on February 15, 1919, was honorably discharged as a “seaman of the second class.” Returning home, he served during the next two years as a tractor operator for the Acme Promotion Company. In August, 1922, he leased the Smith ranch of 366 acres, in the Winship district; and there he has since carried on general farming. Mr. Winship is a member of Post No. 256, American Legion, at Grimes. In politics he is a Republican.
History of Yuba and Sutter Counties, Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, 1924
p. 776
CALVIN LUTHER ELY
Among those who occupy a place of prominence as leading ranchers of Sutter City, mention must be made of Calvin Luther Ely, who was born five miles from Meridian, Sutter County, Cal., on January 14, 1865, a son of Griswold and Martha (Friend) Ely. The former was a native of Connecticut, and the latter of Ohio. Griswold Ely came to San Francisco in 1849, via the Horn, in a 180-ton schooner, with the Montague Stock Company. He sailed up the Sacramento River to Vernon, and there they all left the vessel and went to the mines on the Yuba River. Griswold Ely mined for a short time and then he came to Marysville and engaged in hauling garden vegetables by ox-team to the mines in the mountains. Afterwards he came to the Butte Slough, Sutter County, which is now in Reclamation District No. 70, and took up a quarter-section of government land, which he devoted to beans and corn. Here he resided until his death, which came when he was sixty-eight years old; his wife passed away when she was sixty-two years old. This worthy pioneer couple were the parents of five children: Ella, Mrs. Garcia, of Oakland; Esther, who died when she was eleven years old; Lottie May; Ora, Mrs. Odell, of Oakland; and Calvin Luther, the subject of this review.
Calvin Luther Ely was educated at the Slough district school. When he was eighteen years of age he started out for himself, working for wages on ranches. Soon he became interested in farming in District No. 70 and leased a small ranch, which he devoted to beans. He met with hard luck on all sides for several years, but managed to save enough money to purchase a twenty-eight acre ranch on the Howlette Brothers tract, located four miles east of Sutter. This he set out to vineyard and orchard, and irrigates with a four-inch pumping plant; and he also purchased ten acres of the B. F. Walton tract and set out Thompson Seedless grapes there, besides purchasing two blocks, containing about seven acres, situated in the eastern extremity of Sutter City and devoted to Thompson Seedless grapes and almond trees. Sutter City has been Mr. Ely’s home for the past twenty years.
On June 22, 1905, near Tudor, Calvin Luther Ely was married to Miss Sophie Nelson, who was born on the Nelson ranch, near Tudor, Sutter County. She is a daughter of Eric and Ellen Elna (Anderson) Nelson, natives of Sweden. Her parents were married in Chicago, and her father came to the Golden State in 1870 and acquired a half-section of land three miles south of Tudor, which he farmed to grain. Mr. Nelson passed away in 1916; but his wife is still living. They were the parents of seven children: Emma, Mrs. Johnson, in Washington State; Alfred, living on the home place; Sophie, Mrs. Ely; Nellie, Mrs. Murray, of Sutter County; Minnie, Mrs. Wadsworth, now residing in Sacramento; a child who died at birth; and Alice, Mrs. Lowe, now residing on the home place. Mrs. Ely was educated at the Central district school and the Sutter Union High School, and also attended a private preparatory school at Marysville. She taught school for one year in Colusa County and for three years in Sutter County. Mr. and Mrs. Ely were blessed with three children: Verna, Beulah, and Ambrose. Mr. Ely is a Republican in his political views. For ten years he has served his community as a trustee of the Brittan school.
History of Yuba and Sutter Counties, Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, 1924
p. 779-780