Tulare County
Biographies
WALTER S. BURR
A loyal son of the Golden State, who despite discouragements has become one of its successful ranchers, is Walter S. Burr, whose birthplace was in Yolo county, seven miles west of Woodland, and the date of his nativity was January 22, 1857. His childhood was passed in Yolo and Tehama counties and in 1869, when he was about twelve years old, he was brought to Tulare county. His father, B. F. Burr, was a farmer who tried his fortunes with the soil near Tulare a short time, then went to the eastern part of the county and operated a sawmill and handled lumber until the spring of 1876, when he moved to the Mussel Slough district, where he soon became known through his activity in the promotion of the construction of the People's ditch. For several years he lived on and farmed lands which were ultimately appropriated by the railroad company, but he had in the meantime bought forty acres adjoining, in the next section, and consequently was not left without a home. There he planted a vineyard and an orchard and lived until 1886, when he joined a colony in Mexico. He returned to Tulare in 1896 and died there soon afterward, aged seventy-one years.
As a farmer Walter S. Burr may be said to have begun at the bottom of the ladder. He acquired a claim to a quarter-section of land seven miles south of Hanford and homesteaded it. About the same time he pre-empted forty acres, and later, when fortune had smiled on him, he bought two hundred acres adjoining his original purchases and now has four hundred acres. He devotes himself to farming, stock-raising and dairying, owning seventy-five head of cattle, many horses and mules and about two hundred and fifty hogs. One hundred acres of his land is in alfalfa. Water for irrigation he draws from the Lakeside ditch, and on his place are ample wells for his stock as well as for irrigation, he having two pumping plants. In association with his sons he operated an alfalfa thresher for two years. He was active in securing irrigation ditches for his part of the county and the legislative passage of the no-fence law.
For three terms aggregating twelve years he ably filled the office of supervisor, representing the second district, and during one of the terms he was president of the board. His activity in the work of the local Grange brought him election as secretary of that body. Fraternally he affiliates with the Woodmen of the World and with the Foresters.
Mr. Burr married, December 30, 1884, Mary L. Graham, daughter of John Graham, a pioneer in the vicinity of Visalia, and they have three children, Carl T., Maud and Reel G. Maud is the wife of E. H. Howe. Mr. Burr has won his success in life by the exercise of those qualities which enter into the character of all self-made men, and those who know him best know that he has prospered honestly and deservedly.
History of Tulare and Kings Counties, California with Biographical Sketches - Los Angeles, Calif., Historic Record Company, 1913
pp. 531-532
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler
FRANK L. BLAIN
The well known farmer and cattleman whose name heads this sketch is a native of California who made his start and has won success in life within a few miles of the place of his birth. He first saw the light of day in Visalia, Tulare county, in 1880. After finishing a course at the public schools of the town he took a six months' course at the Stockton Business College in 1899, and in the following year he took over all of his father's large ranch interests, which he conducted successfully during the ensuing three years. In 1904 he moved to his present ranch of eighty acres, to which he has added one hundred and sixty acres opposite, built him a comfortable bungalow and in a general way got ready for success as a farmer and cattle raiser. He put twenty acres in peaches of the Tuscan and Muir varieties, gave forty acres to alfalfa, prepared for extensive operations as a stockman, and cleared and cleaned up the ranch, greatly improving the property in every way. In partnership with his sister, he has taken possession of all of the real estate left by their father and is managing the same with much success. He devotes himself principally to the raising of beef cattle, is acquiring large cattle ranges and bids fair soon to rank among the leading cattlemen of the county. He and his sister have seven thousand acres of range land in the mountains, on which they have from seven hundred to eight hundred head of cattle, also thirteen hundred and sixty acres of good cattle land north of Visalia. He owns one hundred and sixty acres near the San Joaquin Hill. Mr. Blain controls a total of five good ranch properties in Tulare county.
Busy as he necessarily is with his cattle-raising industry, Mr. Blain finds some time to devote to general interests, especially to such as affect men who get their living off the soil. As an instance, it should be noted that he is a director of the People's Co-operative Ditch Company, a concern which is doing good work in the way of irrigation. He is not an active politician, but views all public questions with a patriotic intelligence. In November, 1906, he married Miss Bertha Givens, of Californian birth, and they have a daughter whom they have named Carroll.
History of Tulare and Kings Counties, California with Biographical Sketches - Los Angeles, Calif., Historic Record Company, 1913
pp. 533-534
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler