Napa-Lassen County CA Archives Biographies.....Epley, T. H. 1835 - 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 6, 2007, 11:35 am

Author: Lewis Publishing Co. (1891)

T. H. EPLEY, whose beautiful home, "Cypress Lawn," fruit farm, is situated in
Brown's Valley, about three miles from Napa, has a ranch of fifty acres, ten of
which is in vineyard and twenty-five in orchard, principally apricots, prunes,
peaches and pears, about two-thirds in bearing. There are forty Japanese
persimmon trees in full bearing on the ranch, and producing an average of
seventy-five pounds to the tree. They require much the same climate as the
orange. Up to this time his market has been in San Francisco. Brown's Valley has
an area of about 1,500 to 2,000 acres, and was named from the man who purchased
it from Vallejo, the Mexican grantee, for a horse and buggy. Now the bare land
is held at from $100 to $250 per acre. Mr. Epley has a fruit-dryer on his place,
exclusively for his own use. He was born in Washtenaw County, Michigan, in 1835,
and grew up on his father's farm, attending the usual schools up to the age of
seventeen years. His parents were Henry K. and Rachel (Moe) Epley, the former
still living, but the latter died in 1885. His father was an engineer on the
Michigan Central Railroad, as early as 1840, when they used for rails strap iron
spiked down on wooden sills. The son learned the same business as that of his
father, and later that of mechanical engineer in a machine shop. In 1853 he
removed to Iowa, and a year afterward to Minnesota, where he took up a farm. He
sold this land, and with the proceeds built the first steam saw-mill on Lake
Pepin. In this he was engaged with his brother, rafting their lumber down the
Mississippi River to Dubuque, Rock Island, St. Louis and other points along the
river. He continued in that business for four years, and then returned to
Michigan, where he was married to Miss Mary E. Robinson, in January, 1858. They
came West, first under the impulse of the Pike's Peak excitement; but keeping on
to California, they settled in Lassen County, among the first residents of Honey
Lake Valley. He was the engineer of the first steam saw-mill set up there, which
a year later was removed to Washoe Valley, Nevada, and set up about four miles
from Carson. He ran this engine until fall and then rented it for $1,000 per
month for six months. He remained in Nevada for four years, and then purchased a
ranch in Honey Lake Valley, where they lived for eleven years, engaged in
general farming. In 1874 he removed to Napa, and for nine years carried on the
stationery business. When he purchased the ranch where he now lives there were
eleven acres in orchard, and Mr. Epley has himself planted the vineyard and the
remainder of the orchard since that time. He has three children living: Dora, a
graduate of the Napa Ladies' Seminary, and Myrtle and Carl, who are now
attending the Napa College. Mr. Epley was for one term a member of the Board of
Supervisors in Lassen County, and also for one term in Napa County. He is a
member of the Masonic order and of the chapter, also of several other orders,
and has always been a Republican in politics.

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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