Yolo County
Biographies
William J. Cannedy
The energetic enterprises incident to the existence of a California pioneer have left to Mr. Cannedy little leisure for reverting to memories of the past and the days of his youth seem far distant indeed. Boston, Mass., is his native city, and his birth occurred February 6, 1828, while his schooling was also obtained there. From a lad he followed the sea, entering many ports in foreign lands. Afterwards he located in New Orleans, La., from which point he ran on the Mississippi river, and he was also an expert diver. Subsequently he owned and sailed a small craft, with which he carried on a transportation trade up and down the Mississippi river.
William J. Cannedy was married in New Orleans, La., December 25, 1853 to Ellen Cloughesey, a native of Ireland and a member of an ancient and honored family of that country. The young couple came to California via Panama and at the latter point were obliged to wait fifteen days for a steamer. The principal excitement of the intervening period was the celebration of a Mexican bull fight. The voyage ended in safety at San Francisco during July of 1855 and the young gold-seeker afterward passed through all the disappointments and trials incident to pioneering in the west. A brief sojourn at Vallejo, Solano county, was followed by a successful experience at Sailors’ Diggins, Oregon, whence a the expiration of four months he returned to Sacramento. For about six months he lived on the Calaveras river between Mokelumne Hill and Stockton and later found employment at Sacramento. The only railroad of the pioneer period extended from Sacramento to Folsom and produce was necessarily shipped by water, Sacramento and Stockton being the principal shipping points for the central part of the state. Notwithstanding the commercial advantages thus enjoyed by these two pints, the future capital of the state was an insignificant hamlet, nor did Stockton possess many houses or stores.
Upon establishing a permanent citizenship in Yolo county in 1858 Mr. Cannedy took up a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres and later under the school act he pre-empted four hundred and eighty acres, afterward buying enough to give him a total of fourteen hundred and forty acres in one body. He now owns a ranch of six hundred and twenty acres on Putah creek ten miles west of Winters, where he is engaged in stock-raising and farming. In addition he owns property in Winters, including an attractive and convenient modern bungalow, surrounded by beautiful shade trees and also a sufficient number of fruit trees to furnish assorted fruits for the family. A specialty is made of grain and large crops of wheat and barley have been harvested from the land. His attention has been given closely to the management of the land and he has had little leisure for participation in public affairs, but is always depended upon to vote the Republican ticket in national elections and supports all movements for the upbuilding of the county. Having no children of their own, Mr. and Mrs. Cannedy adopted one boy and two girls, namely: William A., Mary and Charlotte D. Mary is now the wife of Clarence Scott and the mother of four children, William, Adelene, Emmett and Margaret. Charlotte D. married the late Dr. Allen P. Popes of Winters and has three children, Ellis, Mark and Allen.
Transcribed by Bea Barton
Source: “History of Yolo County California with Biographical Sketches of The Leading Men and Women of the County Who Have Been Identified With Its Growth and Development From the Early Days to the Present” page 339-340 by Tom Gregory. Published by the Historic Record Company, 1913.
Joseph T. Cooper
Significant of his future identification with California is the fact that the year of Mr. Cooper’s birth was likewise the year memorable in our national development through the vast westward migration drawn to the Pacific coast through the discovery of gold. The son of a pioneer Argonaut who, however, remained in the west for a comparatively brief period, he heard in boyhood many stories concerning the region beyond the mountains and across the plains and thus became interested in the coast country to an extent determining his future associations. Arriving at maturity with no education except such as he had secured through his own energy and no material advantages save those of his own creation, he determined to try his fortune in the western region visited by his father more than twenty years before, and accordingly in 1873 he came to the state in which he has since made a home. It was during 1882 that he came to Yolo county and here he has since remained, meanwhile owning, occupying and developing the valuable farm of eighty acres to which he holds the title and which stands within a short distance of Yolo.
Very early in the colonization of Missouri the Cooper family established themselves in that state. There Hendley Cooper was born and reared and there he married Miss Mary Ann Gibson, a native of Louisa county, Va. Among their children was a son, Joseph T., born January 16, 1849, at the family homestead lying on the banks of the Missouri river in Howard county, Mo. The year after the birth of the son the father went across the plains with a brother-in-law and after his arrival in California took up a claim on Cache creek, but finding himself lonely far from the associations of youth and the refinements of civilization he gave up the land in a few years, returning to Howard county, where he remained until his death. On account of conditions in Missouri incident to the Civil war it was impossible for Joseph T. Cooper to enjoy many educational advantages and he is therefore almost wholly self educated, having by diligent application in mature years gained a broad knowledge concerning all important topics. When he started west in 1872 he found employment at Helena, Mont., from which point he went to Utah. A brief sojourn there was followed by his removal to California and his settlement on leased land now the site of the Soldiers’ Home in Napa county, where he became interested in general farming. Through his prominent identification with the Grange he was selected to superintend the Grange store at Yountville and carry on the business, later disposing of the goods at a public sale and closing out the concern to the best interests of all connected therewith. In 1882 he came to Yolo county and purchased a bare tract of land, which since has been improved under his capable oversight. On the property in 1904 he erected an attractive two-story residence and he also has erected convenient barns and other outbuildings, still further beautifying the tract by the planting of ornamental and fruit trees.
While making Napa county his headquarters Mr. Cooper married Miss Emma C. May, who was born and reared there, but passed the years of young womanhood, prior to her marriage, in San Benito and San Francisco. She was the daughter of Judge James May of San Benito county. They are the parents of four children, namely: Lillie M., wife of A. M. Bemmerly, a well-known rancher of Yolo county; May V., Mrs. A. E. Scarlett, of Yolo; Emmett C., of this county; and Jay T., who graduated from the Leland Stanford University at Palo Alto, class of 1912, with degree LL. B. No desire has been stronger with Mr. and Mrs. Cooper than that of seeing their children honored and useful members of whatever community they may identify themselves with, and with this object in view they have trained them wisely, educated them carefully and encouraged their early efforts in industrial affairs. Unitedly the family have labored to improve their homestead and they are justly proud of the neat and well-kept place, with its splendid orchard of apples, pears, apricots, peaches, plums, lemons and oranges, and with its valuable vineyard of sixteen acres producing large quantities of raisin grapes. Not only the quality of their fruit, but also of their stock, is recognized, for their dairy cows, their pure-bred hogs and their work horses testify to their owner’s care and wise supervision. On the organization of the Woodland creamery, as also of the Knight’s Landing creamery, Mr. Cooper became interested in the new enterprises, buying stock in the concerns, and he served as a director in both creameries, his association therewith giving him a convenient market for the cream sold from the farm. Other local and county movements of known worth have received the benefit of his co-operation. Politically he is independent in local matters and votes with the Democrats in national issues. In Masonry he holds membership with Yolo Lodge No. 82, F. & A. M.
Transcribed by Bea Barton
Source: “History of Yolo County California with Biographical Sketches of The Leading Men and Women of the County Who Have Been Identified With Its Growth and Development From the Early Days to the Present” page 340-342 by Tom Gregory. Published by the Historic Record Company, 1913.