Tulare County
Biographies
IVER KNUTSON
A native of Norway, Iver Knutson received a good education in that far northern country and served an apprenticeship at the carpenter's trade. When about seventeen years old he came to the United States and made his way overland to California, where he was a miner in the early '50s. Eventually he went to Santa Rosa, Sonoma county, and from there to Gilroy, Santa Clara county, and in the latter place plied his trade of carpenter, and several buildings which he built or helped to build are still standing. Hearing of the rich lands in the Mussel Slough section of Tulare county, he moved there in 1872 and took up a claim, which he began to improve. In the history of this part of the state it is recorded how he was killed in the famous Mussel Slough fight of 1880. He married, at Santa Rosa, Miss Cynthia Clawson, a native of Wisconsin, who was brought across the plains when a small child by her father, coming overland to California soon after 1850. She bore her husband seven children and survived him until 1894, when she passed away. Their children were: Charles, deceased; William O. ; Joseph F., deceased; James E.; Mrs. William C. Clarkson, of Lemon Cove, Cal.; Henry E., who lives in Exeter; and Albert E., deceased.
On October 8, 1868, William O. Knutson was born at Old Gilroy, Cal. He divided his time between the public school and work on his father's ranch, and his first venture on his own account was as a farmer in Kaweah swamp. For the past nine years he has been in the dairy business on the Exeter road near Farmersville, in the region known as the Visalia district, and at this time he is renting sixty acres, on which he maintains a dairy of twenty cows.
In 1896 Mr. Knutson married Miss Nellie E. Gray, a native of Iowa, and they have two children, Esther N. and Thelma L. In a fraternal way he affiliates with the Modern Woodmen, the Royal Neighbors and the Fraternal Brotherhood. Without being an active politician, he takes an intelligent interest in all questions of public significance and is prompt and generous in response to all demands toward the advance of the community.
History of Tulare and Kings Counties, California with Biographical Sketches - Los Angeles, Calif., Historic Record Company, 1913
Pp 873-874
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler
JESSE B. AGNEW
An identification with Tulare county's industrial affairs since 1883 has made Jesse B. Agnew well known throughout that vicinity, and although his present business takes him from the neighborhood on many occasions he holds his residence in Visalia at the old Young homestead, No. 600 South East street, where the family of his estimable wife had lived for many years. Mr. Agnew is a successful seed grower, with offices at No. 110 Market street, San Francisco, and he is also manager of the Pacific Seed Growers' Company. His father came to the west in 1846, locating in Oregon, and then returned east for a short time. He made in all seven trips to California before there was a railroad, and his experiences and knowledge on the traveling situation in those days is a most interesting narrative. A blacksmith by trade, he conducted a shop at the early mining camps and later removed to Santa Clara county, Cal., about 1873, and it was at this time that he purchased the old Agnew homestead.
Jesse B. Agnew was born at Eddyville, Iowa, September 15, 1863, and when nine years old was brought to Santa Clara county, where he was reared until 1883, at which time he moved to Tulare county. He was in the railroad land office of the Southern Pacific Railroad for a time. He married Miss Ida Young, daughter of Newton and Mary (Price) Young, who were among the earliest pioneers of Visalia. The Price family were natives of Wales, who came to America with the well-known Evans family.
History of Tulare and Kings Counties, California with Biographical Sketches - Los Angeles, Calif., Historic Record Company, 1913
Pp 875
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler