Napa-Stanislaus County CA Archives Biographies.....Cyrus, John 1831 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 17, 2006, 10:54 pm

Author: Lewis Publishing Co. (1891)

JOHN CYRUS. — On these pages we present a sketch of the eventful life-history of
one of the oldest and most worthy of Napa County's pioneers. During the
forty-four years of Mr. Cyrus' residence in the valley, he has been an active
participant in the changing of the face of nature from a wild and untamed state
to the beautiful country of to-day; and during this time it is safe to say that
no one in the valley has been more generally respected or more universally
esteemed or more justly entitled to the same. Mr. Cyrus is the son of Enoch and
Rebecca (Cook) Cyrus, born in McDonough County, Illinois, March 20, 1831, at a
point near La Harpe, not far from the Mississippi River. His grandparents were
originally from North Carolina. A few years later the family removed to
Missouri, settling first in Jackson County, and later in Andrew County. In the
spring of 1846 a train of about fifty wagons was made up for the long journey to
the Pacific coast, among which were included the outfits belonging to the Cyrus
family. The train scattered as they made their way across the plains, about
twenty wagons that were bound for California keeping together. On the Humboldt
River the Indians became troublesome, stealing quite a number of cattle and
stock. The trip was made via Truckee, and the Sacramento Valley was finally
reached, October 21, 1846. The Cyrus family pushed on directly to Napa Valley,
arriving there in November of that year. For a little time they stayed on the
Yount Ranch, and then pushed on to a point a little below St. Helena, where they
remained for two and a half years. In 1849 they removed to Calistoga and a year
later to their present place, one of the most fertile and lovely spots in the
whole valley, a short distance above the town. Here, February 3, 1853, the
father died of small-pox, being followed shortly after by two sons and two
daughters. The mother died in 1873.

  Mr. Cyrus has cut up his place, dividing it among his children, and selling
portions, but still retaining sixty acres for himself, and still residing in the
comfortable residence which has long been a landmark of the upper end of the
valley. In 1849 Mr. Cyrus went to the mines, visiting the Stanislaus and the
upper waters of the Sacramento, and being well acquiauted with the stirring
incidents and leading characters of those exciting times. From him is obtained
much material in regard to those days, as also with reference to the virgin
state of the Napa Valley, the abundance of game, the grizzly bears, the
disappearance of the Indians and the rise of the town, etc. He has been a farmer
all his life, paying but little attention to politics as a general thing. He was
brought forward in 1877 as a candidate for County Treasurer on the Republican
ticket, but was defeated by A. G. Boggs. He has steadfastly declined all other
political perferment, wishing rather to attend to his private affairs.

  Mr. Cyrus was married June 5, 1855, to Miss Lavina Graves, a native of
Illinois, and a pioneer of 1846, and the heroine of stirring events. They have
five children: H. E., now in the lumber business in Calistoga, who has one
daughter; J. W., a civil engineer and surveyor at Tacoma, and unmarried; Mrs. M.
A. Sherwood, whose husband is in business in Calistoga; Mrs. Sarah G. Crouch,
living at home; and Miss Rachel E., also at home, the latter being a graduate of
the Calistoga High School, and deeply interested in Indian relics and in matters
archaeological. Mr. Cyrus is one of the most interesting talkers to be met,— a
perfect mine of incident and information in reference to early events, hunting
scenes, and everything of the past. A worthy man and popular, he is truly a
representative citizen of the Napa Valley.

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.


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