Monterey County CA Archives Biographies.....Nason, Fred Porter 1859 - 
************************************************
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 January 28, 2007, 10:56 pm

Author: Luther A. Ingersoll, Editor (1893)

FRED PORTER NASON, one of the most prosperous farmers of Corral de Tierra, near
Salinas, Monterey county, California, widely and favorably known as a
progressive business man and public-spirited citizen, was born in Haverhill, New
Hampshire, January 24, 1856. In many respects his has been a most remarkable
career, rivaling in interest that of Robinson Crusoe's, and which when written,
as it soon will be, will furnish much food for wonderment to all those fortunate
enough to read it. Adventure and patriotism are in his blood, as his ancestors
have been men of prominence and action from the earliest known records. His
great-grandfather fought at Bunker Hill, and also with two brothers, fought all
through the war of the Revolution, from 1776 to 1783. His grandfather, John
Nason, was a faithful soldier in the war of 1812. He was a native of
Massachusetts, and one of the earliest settlers of Haverhill, Massachusetts,
where he was a sawmill owner and farmer, and who lived to the advanced age of
ninety-three years. The father of the subject of this sketch, also a native of
Haverhill, was a locomotive engineer and was killed in an accident when his son,
Fred, was five years of age, after which young Fred went to live with his
grandfather. At the age of fourteen, he left home with only $1 in money, and
worked his way to Boston, Massachusetts, where he shipped before the mast in the
whaling bark, Louisiana, for a three years' voyage. After six months at sea, he
was made boatsteerer or harpooner, and before he was fifteen years of age had
harpooned his whale. This voyage lasted thirty-two months, the vessel in that
time circumnavigating the globe, so that before he was seventeen, Mr. Nason had
been around the world. Upon his return to Boston, he shipped as second mate in
the merchant service, in which he spent about two years, during which time he
was twice ship-wrecked. Upon his return, he again shipped on a whaler for a
short voyage, as third mate, making $1,500 in five months. He then embarked on
another vessel and went around the world on an extended whaling voyage of nearly
four years' time, meeting with many adventures, some of which rival Robinson
Crusoe's; he fought with Chinese pirates in their own waters, and with the
cannibals of the Fiji islands on their own shores. Returning again to New
Bedford, Massachusetts, he once more, in 1876, shipped as second mate of a large
whaler, on which he went around Cape Horn and up into the Arctic ocean, where he
spent two seasons, coming to San Francisco in the fall of 1879. He then resolved
to quit whaling, so left the vessel and came to Monterey county, where in 1880,
he settled on his present farm of 484 acres, which he has cultivated with care,
and on which he has made many improvements in the way of substantial buildings,
etc., until he now owns one of the finest places in the county.

  In 1881, he married Adeline Watson, an estimable lady, and daughter of
ex-sheriff Thomas Watson, of Monterey county. They now have, in 1892, three sons
and two daughters.

  Mr. Nason has always been a Democrat until recently, when he went into the
People's Party. He is a leading member of the Farmers' Alliance, for which cause
he has done much good work.

  He has nearly ready for the press, a history or narrative of his personal
adventures, extending over the time he was a sailor, about ten years, which will
be a very interesting work.

  As a husband and father, seafaring man and citizen, he has always been the
same hard-working, conscientious, brave man; uniformly genial and courteous, and
ever popular with his fellow-men.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Memorial and Biographical History of the Coast Counties of Central California.

Illustrated.

Containing a History of this Important Section of the Pacific Coast from the
Earliest Period of its Discovery to the Present Time, together with Glimpses of
its Auspicious Future; Illustrations and Full-Page Portraits of some of its
Eminent Men, and Biographical Mention of many of its Pioneers, and Prominent
Citizens of To-day.



HENRY D. BARROWS,
Editor of the Historical Department.

LUTHER A. INGERSOLL,
Editor of the Biographical Department.

"A people that take no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will
never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote
descendants."-Macaulay.


CHICAGO: THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY.
1893.


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/monterey/bios/nason855bs.txt

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

File size: 5.0 Kb