Yuba County Biographies

ROGER L. ALDERMAN

Possessing those qualities through which success comes as a natural sequence, Roger L. Alderman has established his position among the foremost stockmen of Yuba County and his life history is an excellent illustration of what can be accomplished through untiring effort and determined purpose, when guided by intelligence and sound judgment. He was born in Grass Valley, Nevada County, on March 6, 1859, a son of Richard Samuel and Katherine (Sanford) Alderman, the former a native of Northampton, England, the latter of West Gore, Nova Scotia, Canada. When a young man of twenty-two years the father emigrated to the United States, locating in Boston, Mass.

The coming of the Sanford and Alderman families to California is replete with romance which could well do justice to Emerson Hough’s “Covered Wagon.” The Sanford family comes from Scotch and German blood and lived at West Gore, in Nova Scotia, where they were engaged in agricultural pursuits. A disagreement between father and son led to an estrangement between the father and young James M. Sanford, late editor and owner of the Prescott Miner, in Prescott, Ariz., who was our subject’s uncle, and the first member of these two families ever to set foot on California soil. After this misunderstanding with his father, James M. Sanford left his Nova Scotia home and went to Boston, Mass., in 1846. This almost broke his mother’s and sister’s hearts and they followed him to Boston, in their attempt to bring him back home. The proud young Sanford resolutely determined not to return, and in order to evade their entreaties, he shipped for California via Cape Horn, arriving in San Francisco in 1849. His sister, who was our subject’s mother, still hoping to bring about a reconciliation, followed him to California, making the trip across the Isthmus, and arrived in San Francisco in 1850, but failing to find him there, returned to the Isthmus of Panama, where she put in the following winter. The next year, having obtained a clue as to her brother’s whereabouts, she returned to California and after much search at last succeeded in finding the long-sought-for brother, who was busily engaged in hoeing his cabbages, as he was then engaged in market gardening upon a plot of ground where the State Capitol now stands at Sacramento, and to her deep dismay, she found him as unalterable as ever in his determination never to return to the parental roof, and the result was that she herself was persuaded to stay in California. At that time malarial fever was raging at Sacramento and, being taken with chills, she went on up to the placer mines in the foothills at Grass Valley. Meantime her betrothed, Richard S. Alderman, had sailed from Boston, Mass., to San Francisco, in 1850, in order to marry his sweetheart, Katherine Sanford. Failing to find her in San Francisco, he started a shop in the Bay City, for the manufacture of pans and other miners’ supplies. Through talking with some gold miners from Grass Valley, he found that Katherine Sanford was there. He immediately closed up his shop in San Francisco, and went on to Grass Valley, where he found his betrothed, and they were married there the very next day. That was in 1852. After marriage Richard S. Alderman embarked in the dairy business. He was also a pattern maker and millwright and was nearly seventy at the time of his death, which occurred within twenty days of his birthday. The mother reached the age of sixty-nine years and three months. On first coming to the State she had purchased a strip of land in Sacramento, which today is the site of the State Capitol grounds. To Mr. and Mrs. Alderman were born nine children: S. J. and G. D., both deceased; Roger L.; Elizabeth A.; Wallace G., who still lives in Grass Valley; Linnie, also deceased; Lillie Maria, of Rocklin, Cal.; F. F., whose biography also appears in this volume; and Emily C., who lives in the old home in Grass Valley.

Roger L. Alderman’s educational opportunities were limited to five months’ attendance at a private school in Grass Valley, and when sixteen years of age he assumed the management of the home place, his father being an invalid. He remained there until his father’s death and in 1896, in association with his brother, F. F. Alderman, purchased the preemption right to the Springdale Ranch of 640 acres, located in the Lone Tree school district of Yuba County, on the Wheatland-Smartsville road. They have prospered in their undertakings and now own 2400 acres of land in Yuba and Nevada Counties. Their property is known as the Springdale Ranch and they are extensively engaged in the raising of stock. They have at times as many as 500 head of cattle and 4000 head of sheep. Mr. Alderman also owns 1000 acres of land in Nevada County, which is used for summer grazing. He has made many improvements upon his property and in 1920 completed the fine new home in which the family now resides.

At Marysville, on May 26, 1919, Roger L. Alderman was united in marriage to Miss Ethel Oldham, a native of San Benito County, Cal., and a daughter of Winfield Scott and Victoria (Johnston) Oldham. She attended the Hollister Grammar School and the State Normal School at San Jose and taught for several years before her marriage, being very successful as an educator. Her paternal grandparents crossed the plans to California in 1849 with their parents; and the following year they were married in Santa Clara, where they spent their remaining years. In that locality, too, their son, Winfield S. Oldham, was born and reared. In early manhood he removed to San Benito County, where he engaged in farming. His wife was a native of Placerville, Eldorado County, and her parents were pioneers of this State, arriving here in 1852. Her father was a miner and made the voyage around Cape Horn, while her mother came to California by way of the Isthmus of Panama. Mr. and Mrs. Oldham had a family of three children: Rex Winfield, of San Jose; Ethel; and George, who died in 1896.

Mrs. Alderman is a Republican, but her husband is independent in his political views, supporting the candidate whom he deems best fitted for office. For several years he has been a member of the board of trustees of the Lone Tree school district, and he has also served as foreman of the grand jury a number of times. He is eager to promote the welfare of his community and has many friends who hold him in high esteem as a man of enterprise, integrity and substantial worth. Mr. and Mrs. Alderman are the parents of two children: Roger L., both November 18, 1920, and Keith Winfield, born October 4, 1923.