Merced-Mariposa County CA Archives Biographies.....Pate, Stephen M. 1859 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 6, 2006, 11:18 pm

Author: John Outcalt (1925)

STEPHEN M. PATE

   Himself a pioneer of California, and the descendant of one of the earliest
settlers in this part of the State, Stephen M. Pate was born on the old Pate
ranch, in Mariposa County, on February 19, 1859, the youngest child born to his
parents, Francis Marion and Lorinda (Cornett) Pate. Francis Marion Pate was a
native of Alabama, the son of a planter; he entered the U. S. Army under Taylor,
in the Mexican War, and after the war continued on to California, reaching Los
Angeles in 1848, with his horse, saddle, and a few personal effects as his only
resources. On hearing the news of the gold discovery, he came to this part of
the State, and went into the Southern Mines. He later joined the military
company which was responsible for the quelling of the Yosemite Indian troubles,
being stationed at Fort Miller. His marriage, in 1852, at Agua Fria, Mariposa
County, united him with Lorinda Cornett, nee Binge, who was born in Kentucky and
married in Missouri.

   Her first husband died in 1850, and she, with her two sons and a daughter,
accompanied a party of immigrants across the plains, in 1850, settling in
Mariposa. With his new family, the hardy pioneer settled on 160 acres of land in
Mariposa County; this land was not then surveyed, but it proved to be the home
place of the Pate family where Stephen M. was born. His father built with rude
tools the first home, a cabin on the land they had chosen as a heritage; titles
to land were questionable, but he stayed, and won the right to his acreage. They
had many bad years, and making a livelihood was very hard and strenuous for the
pioneers of that early day; stock sold as high as twenty dollars per steer to
the butcher; they made butter and sold eggs, and this brought the only medium of
exchange for many years. Mr. Pate, Sr. made journeys to Stockton for supplies
before the railway was put in and these trips took seven days of hard traveling.
He engaged in livestock, sheep and wool growing, and in the fifties, started
with grain raising, and single-handed and by unremitting toil, strict integrity,
and keen foresight, he added to his holdings by subsequent purchases until he
owned 3000 acres at the time of his death. He was a staunch Republican, though
born in the South, and was an active participant in the building up of his
community in the days when each man had to stand on his own feet, or fail.

   Stephen M. Pate received much of his schooling in private school, kept
usually in the home, and attended for a time the Cathey Valley district school.
Large for his age, much of his early life was spent in the saddle on the stock
range, and as soon as he became old enough he followed the teaming and
freighting business from Merced to Hornitos and the mines for six years; he at
one time owned five ten-animal teams all closely matched which were the pride of
the young man; none on the road at that time had better stock and his teams were
conspicuous on the highways, fine large mules, and large white draft horses. He
conducted a stable, and owned his own blacksmith shop at Mt. Bullion, and before
he reached his majority he was employing at times as high as twenty men. Mr.
Pate later entered the stock and ranching business on his father's ranch.
Finally buying the home place, he engaged in the cattle and hog-raising
business. Cholera at one time struck down 500 head of his hogs in a season. He
branched into extensive business, but never over-reached in his dealings, and
was always known to be honest and straightforward, all of which no doubt
contributed largely to his success. By subsequent purchases, he added lands
until he owned 5000 acres, of which 2000 acres were farming lands. He raised
mules and horses for his own use, as well as for the market, and he engaged for
six years in the sheep and wool business, as a breeder of Merino sheep.

In 1918, Mr. Pate moved to Le Grand, Merced County, after selling the old Pate
ranch in 1917, and here he owns a fine home, constructed on the old Mission
style of architecture, the property embracing eighty acres on the edge of town.
In the meantime he has invested in other properties in Merced County, and his
success has been remarkable. He built up the well-known Lone Tree Dairy, which
sold nine years ago for $64,000. He owns 443 acres in the Merced Irrigation
District, nine miles southwest of Merced, which is being farmed by his son,
Harvey, who lives there with his wife and two daughters. Of late years Mr. Pate
has become an ex-extensive feeder of livestock for market, and rents range lands
in Mariposa and Merced counties. One of the very rarest incidents in his life
occurred in 1917, when for a period of twenty-four hours he was entirely out of
business; had no employees, etc., and it was the only like period in his entire
business career of over forty-six years. Many of the men whom he employed during
this long stretch of time have become successful, like himself, and this is one
of his greatest sources of gratification: to see others prosper, too, and in
building up their success, aid in the upbuilding of the district.

   The first marriage of Mr. Pate, which occurred in the Cathey Valley, united
him with Martha Andrews, a native of Illinois; her death occurred in June, 1906,
survived by six children: Louis F., of Le Grand; Mrs. Olive L. Latour, of
Merced; Samuel M., of Visalia; Mrs. Edna Hurd, of Oakland; Harvey W., of Merced;
and Leota, now deceased.

   On June 3, 1907, Mr. Pate's second marriage occurred, uniting him with Lottie
Wilson, born in Stockton, the seventh of eight children born to Samuel and
Malinda (Key) Wilson, natives of Kentucky who crossed the plains in 1853, and
settled near Stockton and engaged in ranching. They moved to Merced in 1896,
where both their deaths occurred. Their property was a valuable ranch on the
edge of Merced, the present group of Merced High School buildings being now on a
part of the property, it having been acquired from the heirs of the estate a few
years ago. A staunch Democrat, Mr. Pate has never aspired to public office,
except as pertains to his business interests. He is a charter member and
president of the California Cattle Men's Association, and attends the meetings
regularly, giving much of his time to the study of cooperative problems.
Fraternally he is a Past Grand of the Merced Lodge No. 208, I. O. O. F.


Additional Comments:
From:

HISTORY OF
MERCED COUNTY
CALIFORNIA
WITH A
Biographical Review
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

HISTORY BY
JOHN OUTCALT

ILLUSTRATED COMPLETE IN ONE VOLUME
HISTORIC RECORD COMPANY
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
1925


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