Tulare County
Biographies
CALVIN H. ANTRIM
A respected and well-known citizen of Tulare county, now living retired from active cares in Orosi, is Calvin H. Antrim, whose career has been indicative of energy, thrift and perseverance. Born in Clinton, Ohio, April 12, 1827, he was a son of Hiram and Sarah (Whitson) Antrim, natives respectively of Virginia and Pennsylvania and who were the parents of a family of nine children. Receiving his education in the common schools of his locality, Calvin H. Antrim early learned the carpenter's trade, being quite proficient when he was but fourteen years old, and until 1895 that was his chief occupation. He left Ohio in March, 1866, going to Lewis county, Mo., where he purchased one hundred and twenty acres of land, on which he lived for eleven years with his sons, and followed farming. In November, 1877, he went to Lee county, Iowa, where he farmed and raised stock in partnership with Dr. Todd until he give it up on account of poor health. In October, 1889, he decided to come to Tulare county, Cal., to recuperate, and buying seven town lots in Orosi he erected a residence on one which he sold in the fall of 1912 for hotel purposes. For thirteen years he ran the stage between Orosi and Cutler, carrying passengers, mail, freight and express, but since then he has lived in practical retirement, enjoying the well-earned rest from active life.
On February 6, 1851, Mr. Antrim was married to Nancy Jane Cohagen, a native of Greene county, Ohio, born October 20, 1833, and children as follows were born to them: Hiram, A. Ellen, Luella, Lincoln, Elmer, Susan H., Ira, Ida, Elbert, Cora, John W., and Lillian. Hiram, now deceased, married Belle Furtney and had five children. Luella married Andy Langwith and they were the parents of two children. Lincoln married Ida Smith, a native of Iowa, and they have two children. Susan H. married W. D. George. Elbert married Anna Powell and has two children. John W. married Dora Lovelace and they have one child. Lillian is the wife of Ed Combs. The others have all passed away, and the mother's death occurred November 19, 1908, at the age of seventy-four years.
In 1862 Mr. Antrim became a member of that famous military organization known to history as the Squirrel Hunters and participated in the operations involving Morgan's raid into the North. He was honorably discharged from the service March 4, 1863. In politics he is Republican, and as a citizen he has always been public-spirited and helpful.
History of Tulare and Kings Counties, California with Biographical Sketches - Los Angeles, Calif., Historic Record Company, 1913
Pp 841-842
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler
FRANCIS M. MAYES
A native of McDonald county, Missouri, Francis M. Mayes is a son of natives of that state and his parents were Richard and Elizabeth (Moffett) Mayes. He was born November 30, 1845, and came overland to California with his father with ox-teams when he was about twelve years old. The party, under direction of Captain Pogue, left their old homes in April, 1857, and consumed about the usual time in making the trip. There were about thirty wagons in the train and enough oxen for convenient relief. The party came by the North Platte, the Hudson Cutoff, the Honey Lake route, and thence by way of Red Bluff. Along the Humboldt river in Nevada the Indians were very troublesome and they had only a little while before massacred all the members of a large party of emigrants, appropriating the stock and running the wagons into the river. Only two yoke of oxen were lost to Indians by Captain Pogue's party and they were later recovered. Every precaution for safety was taken. Encamping, a stockade was formed and guards were ever on the alert. During the progress of the journey there was some sickness and two children were born to women of the party. After a brief rest at Red Bluff the journey was completed and Mr. Mayes and family went to a point near Santa Rosa, Sonoma county, where he lived from late in 1857 until in 1875. There the mother died in 1858, leaving three sons and four daughters, of which family but three survive. Coming to Tulare county the elder Mayes resided with his son until his death in 1878.
Having come thus to California, Francis M. Mayes gained his education in public schools in Sonoma county and learned blacksmithing under his father's instruction. He settled in Antelope Valley in Tulare county, on one hundred and sixty acres of railroad land which in the course of events he was obliged to relinquish. But he moved his house onto another tract of one hundred and sixty acres in Sand Creek Gap, which he purchased from the Southern Pacific Railway Company. Later he came into possession of two hundred and forty acres of railroad land which he improved and on which he lived until in 1897, when he sold it and removed to Orosi, buying property there and going into general blacksmithing. It was as a blacksmith that he busied himself during the succeeding eight years. When he first settled in the Sand Creek Gap there was no townsite nearer than Visalia, all trading and postoffice business having been done at Visalia. Deer, bear, antelope, and other wild game was plentiful and much of the country round about was given over to the feeding of sheep. At the end of the period mentioned he sold out his interests at Orosi and bought forty-four acres on the Dinuba road, where he took up his residence and has since developed a fine home ranch. The land was mostly planted to fruit. He has ten acres of Malaga grapes, fifteen of wine grapes and five of Muscats. Eleven acres are given to peaches, his trees now being about six years old, and he has sixty orange trees, some miscellaneous fruit and several attractive palms. In 1911 he sold for shipment sixty-two tons of Malaga grapes at $28 and $30 a ton, grew ninety-eight tons of wine grapes on fifteen acres, produced ten tons of Zinfandels to the acre, of which he has five acres, sold four and a half tons of dried peaches for ten cents a pound, and received $900 for wine grapes and the same amount for peaches. He keeps horses enough to work his ranch.
Politically Mr. Mayes is a Democrat and for more than twenty years he has filled the office of school trustee. He and members of his family are communicants of the Cumberland Presbyterian church. The lady who became his wife was Miss Mary E. Faudre, a native of California, and she has borne him children as follows: Mattie, deceased, Frances E., Etta and Arthur, deceased, Melvin L., Oscar O. and Edith, deceased (twins), Ella, and Clara. Frances E. became the wife of Victor Franzen, a native of Sweden, and they have two sons and three daughters. Clara married Fred G. Nelson, an Englishman by birth, and they are living in Tulare county and they have two sons and one daughter.
History of Tulare and Kings Counties, California with Biographical Sketches - Los Angeles, Calif., Historic Record Company, 1913
Pp 842-843
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler