Yolo County
Biographies
HENRY M. CASSILIS
Henry M. Cassilis, and extensive and prominent farmer near Black’s, in Yolo County, was born October, 1827, in Edinburg, Scotland, and was but six weeks old when his parents emigrated with him to New Brunswick, North America. Their names were John O. and Mary (McPherson) Cassilis, and they were both natives of Edinburg. They died in St. John, New Brunswick, the father in 1852 and the mother in 1855. Of their fourteen children, only two are now living. In 1847 Mr. Cassilis, the subject of this sketch, settled in Rushville, Illinois, engaging in the cooper trade. In 1850 he came with ox teams to California, stopping first in Nevada, where he prospected for about three months; in 1852-’54 he was in Sacramento, employed at his trade, and in the meantime he took up a piece of land in Yolo County, near where he is now a resident and occupied it until 1887. At that time his wife’s father died, leaving her 120 acres, and they moved upon it. It is a very beautiful home. Altogether they own 422 acres of very fine land, near Black’s.
Mr. Cassilis was married October 4, 1855, in the house where he now lives, to Miss Sarah E. Barnes, the daughter of one of the old farmers of this State, Silas P. Barnes, so well known among the old settlers. Her mother, whose maiden name was Olive A. Chapman, was born in Maine. Mr. Barnes, a native of New Hampshire, had the faculty of making money. At the age of eighteen years he went to Massachusetts and was engaged on the wharf selling coal, wood and hay; in 1851 he came across the plains to California, stopping in Salt Lake City two years and settling upon this place, now occupied by Mr. Cassilis, just mentioned. He died April 11, 1888. Mrs. Barnes died in Sacramento, in April, 1855. Mr. and Mrs. Cassilis have had eight children: Mary O., born July 9, 1856, now the wife of George W. Bailey; Maria P., born September 28, 1857, married Walter S. Taylor and has since deceased; Silas O., born April 28, 1859, and married Miss Emma Dill; Laura J., born August 3, 1863, the wife of Elmer Robinson; Annie, born August 18, 1866; Agnes, born August 18, 1866, now the wife of William Houx; Henry M., born February 22, 1869; and William W., February 11, 1871.
Memorial & Biographical History of Northern California, The Lewis Publishing Co., 1891
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler
J. L. ELLIOTT
J. L. Elliott, manager of a lumber yard at Winters as agent of F. B. Chandler, is one of the well-known men of Winters, born May 22, 1864, in Linn County, Oregon. At the age of three years he was brought by his parents to California. His father, J. M., was born in Kentucky July 1, 1820, and came to this State in 1849; finding the cholera raging here he proceeded immediately to Oregon, where he remained until 1867; then he came to Solano County, where he was engaged in stock-raising and farming to the time of his death, October 30, 1883. Mr. Elliott’s mother, whose maiden name was Celia Paul, was born in Missouri, November 9, 1826, and died in Vacaville, September 17, 1880, leaving four sons and four daughters. The subject of this notice, next to the youngest of the family, made his home at Vacaville until he completed his school days, and served four years as Wells & Fargo’s express messenger, and then he located upon his present place, April 1, 1889. His wife, whose maiden name was Hattie E. Dafoe, was born December 6, 1867, in Canada, and they were married in Winters, October 2, 1889. They have one son, Charles Arno, born July 27, 1890. Mr. Elliott is a member of Vacaville Lodge, No. 83, I.O.O.F., and of Damocles Lodge, No. 33, K. of P.
Memorial & Biographical History of Northern California, The Lewis Publishing Co., 1891
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler
C. D. MORIN
C. D. Morin, dealer in tin and hardware at Woodland, is the son of John and Julia (Brandmore) Morin, natives of Canada. His father was a cooper by trade, for a time held the office of inspector of potash, and died when C. D. was a small boy, in Montreal, Canada; and the mother died in Brockville, Upper Canada. Mr. Morin was born in Montreal, Canada, in 1832, and at the age of seventeen years he began to learn the trade of tinner in Brockville, Canada, with John Lafayette. In 1852 he went to St. Louis, Missouri, where he was employed nine months, and then he came overland to California, stopping, however, at North Platte and Fort Laramie, where he was engaged for a time in trading with the Indians. He came that far with a band of sheep owned by Z. Rochon. He arrived in Sacramento in 1853 and followed mining one summer season at Salmon Falls on the American River; next he followed his trade a year at Sacramento; then mined again one year at Indian Diggings; returning to Sacramento again, he remained there until 1858, when he went to Fraser River, during the first flush of excitement from that quarter, and for a short time was employed there by a man named Bragg. He spent a month in the mines, and returned to Sacramento, stopped there four months, and then for eight months he worked for M. Winchell at Cacheville., Yolo County, in the tin business, and he then bought him out. After conducting the business there for seven years he moved to Woodland, where he has succeeded well in business, and being one of the prominent citizens of the place. He has a nice residence on Court street. He is a member of Woodland Lodge, No. 22, A.O.U.W.
Mr. Morin married Miss Minnie B. Schindler, a daughter of David Schindler, born in Wisconsin, and they have three children: Mattie M., aged twenty-two years, and Minnie M., aged twenty years. Mattie is a music teacher, and Minnie is a dressmaker.
Memorial & Biographical History of Northern California, The Lewis Publishing Co., 1891
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler