Contra Costa-El Dorado County CA Archives Biographies.....Durham, J. E. 1829 - 
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 18, 2007, 7:48 pm

Author: Lewis Publishing Co. (1891)

J. E. DURHAM, a farmer near Pacheco, Contra Costa County, is a well-known and
prosperous agriculturist. He was born in Sumner County, Tennessee, December 6,
1829, and lost his mother at an early age. His father transferred his residence
to Arkansas, and a year afterward he settled in Barry County, Missouri, where J.
E. attended school six years; returning again to Arkansas with his father, he
lived six years longer with him, and then went again to Missouri, where he
maintained a continuous residence until March, 1850, when he proceeded to
Independence, fitted out and came across the plains and mountains by way of Fort
Laramie to California. He was employed as teamster, and at Fort Laramie he
joined a train of Mormons, who were on their way to Salt Lake city. At this
place he passed the ensuing winter, and in the spring resumed his journey,
arriving at Georgetown, El Dorado County, in June, 1851. In the vicinity of that
place he followed mining until 1853, when he began running an express and stage
line from Stockton to Hill's Ferry, continuing in this business six years. At
one time he owned the ferry at the mouth of the Stanislaus River. Coming to
Contra Costa County, he purchased his present place of 305 acres. He also owns
118 acres a mile distant and 434 acres at Bay Point. The home ranch is four and
a half miles from Pacheco, in the Ygnacio Valley. He devotes his attention to
general farming, stock-raising and fruit.

  He was first married, in San Francisco, October 2, 1862, to Miss June E.
Sherman, a native of Ohio, and they had seven children: Burnett S., born August
15, 1863; John E., born February 21, 1865, died March 8, 1873; Melvina I., born
November 16, 1867; Fannie, born November 23, 1869, died April 25, 1885; Cora E.,
born April 16, 1871; Levi B. H., born April 15, 1873, and Aurelia, born August
23, 1874. For his second wife Mr. Durham married, in Pacheco, October 10, 1877,
Miss Melvina Strickland, a native of Illinois, and they have one son, named
Herbert S.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from

Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California.

Illustrated, Containing a History of this Important Section of the Pacific Coast
from the Earliest Period of its Occupancy to the Present Time, together with
Glimpses of its Prospective Future; Full-Page Steel Portraits of its most
Eminent Men, and Biographical Mention of many of its Pioneers and also of
Prominent Citizens of To-day.

"A people that takes no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will
never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote
descendents." – Macauley.

CHICAGO
THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY
1891.


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/contracosta/bios/durham735gbs.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/cafiles/

File size: 3.3 Kb