Kings County CA Archives Biographies.....Farmer, Lyman D November 7, 1885 - 
************************************************
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:
Kellie Crnkovich markkell95@aol.com and Kathy Sedler  December 21, 2005, 1:29 pm

Author: History of Tulare and Kings Counties

The youngest man who ever held the office of sheriff in California is Lyman D. 
Farmer of Kings county. It should be a matter of pride to Californians that he 
is a native of the state and doubly so to the people of Kings county that he 
was born within its borders, nine miles northeast of Hanford. He made his 
advent in this world November 7, 1885, a son of George and Gertrude D. 
(Ruggles) Farmer, natives respectively of Iowa and California. George Farmer 
came to California in 1875 and located on a farm near Cross Creek Switch, in 
Kings county, where he still lives and of whom a sketch will be found on 
another page in this work. His wife was a daughter of L. B. Ruggles, a native 
of Michigan, who came around Cape Horn to California in pioneer days, returned 
east by way of the Isthmus of Panama and brought his wife back to this state. 
After mining for awhile, he farmed and worked at lumbering at Woodland, Yolo 
county, until he took up his residence in Tulare county. In 1876 he pre-empted 
land seven miles southwest of Traver, on which he engaged in farming and to 
which he eventually acquired title. With the aid of his sons he constructed the 
Settlers' Irrigation ditch in that part of the county. After a life of 
usefulness he passed away in 1896, and Mrs. Farmer is his only surviving child. 
Of Mr. and Mrs. Farmer's ten children, eight are living: Leta D. is the wife of 
Dr. L. C. Cothran; Milton T. is a graduate of U. of C. and now attorney for the 
State Superintendent of Banks with law offices in Oakland; the others are Lyman 
D., Ethel R., Theodore P., Paul L., Clarence W. and Lucile B.

Lyman D. Farmer acquired his primary education in the public schools and was a 
student one year at the University of California.

He helped his father on the home ranch until 1909, when he was appointed deputy 
sheriff under Sheriff W. V. Buckner. He was elected sheriff on the Republican 
ticket in 1910, when he was twenty-five years of age, and is filling the office 
with ability and fidelity that would do credit to a man twice his years.

Fraternally Sheriff Farmer affiliates with the Sons of Veterans; the Native 
Sons of the Golden West; is a Royal Arch Mason; a member of the Eastern Star, 
Odd Fellows, Woodmen of the World and the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks 
of Hanford. Popular as he is in these orders, he is held in no higher esteem 
than by the citizens generally. In 1911 he married Miss Ethel Rhoads, a native 
of California, a granddaughter of Daniel Rhoads, a pioneer of California. Her 
father, J. W. Rhoads, who also was born in this state, came to San Joaquin 
Valley among the early settlers and passed away in Tulare county and is buried 
at Hanford.


Additional Comments:
History of Tulare and Kings Counties, California with Biographical Sketches - 
Los Angeles, Calif., Historic Record Company, 1913
pp. 538-539
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/kings/bios/farmer198bs.txt

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

File size: 3.5 Kb