Napa County CA Archives Biographies.....Teale, P. T. 1826 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com December 9, 2005, 5:53 am

Author: Lewis Publishing Co.

P. T. TEALE.—It is not always the life of most variety and incident that is of
the most value to the country, but rather that of the man who honestly and
diligently conducts his affairs, doing fairly and honorably by himself, his
fellow man and his Maker. Yet it is hard for any man who came to California in
the early days not to have seen and experienced a very great deal, as will be
seen in this short sketch of Mr. P. T. Teale, a worthy and respected pioneer of
Napa Valley. He was born on the island of Santa Cruz, in the West Indies, in
1826, his father being a manager of a sugar estate on that island, and of
English descent. His mother was a native of France. In 1832 the family removed
to America, settling at Lachine, near Montreal, in Canada, being induced to do
so by two uncles, Colonels Anderson and Viscount, formerly of the British army,
serving in the war of 1812, who had settled in Montreal. After six years in
Canada, the family went to Cleveland, Ohio, and two years later to Coshocton
County, same State, where Mr. Teale resided until he set out for California,
fifteen years later. Here he was married in 1848, to Miss Mary A. Tucker,
daughter of R. P. Tucker, the old California pioneer of 1846, mention of whom
and her brother, especially in connection with their rescue of the survivors of
the Donner party, will be found elsewhere. They had two children when in 1852
they crossed the plains to California, meeting with the usual hardships and
difficulties, but fortunately coming through safely. Mr. Teale brought cattle
out with him, and came on directly to Napa County, taking only an interesting
look at the mines as they passed through.

  He settled at a point first about three miles below his present place, but
nine years later came up within a mile of Calistoga, and purchased a ranch of
300 acres of as fine and fertile a soil as any in the world. He still retains
170 acres where he resides, and is passing the remainder of a useful and
well-spent life in a comfortable home, tree-embowered, and the grounds
handsomely adorned by flowers, in one of the most beautiful parts of the county,
surrounded by his children, and respected and esteemed by the entire community.
The spot where his house stands, by the way, is the site of the oldest building
in the upper end of the county. The spot was chosen by the old pioneer, John
Fowler, as the place to put up his cabin in 1844. Ben Kelsey, John York and the
old pioneers have all lived there. Mr. Teale relates that it was a famous place
for game. He has often seen bear tracks on the road before his house, and up to
twenty-five years ago they used frequently to kill his hogs. When the first
house was built there four deer were killed within an hour quite near the place.
Mr. Teale himself has killed two California lions inside of a week. He has paid
as high, in the early days, as $30 for a hog, 25 cents a pound for flour, $1.50
a dozen for eggs, $4 apiece for hens, seed wheat 10 cents a pound, etc. Such
prices did not last long, however.

  Mr. Teale is a Republican of decided principles, and has frequently been urged
by his many friends to permit himself to be brought forward as a candidate for
office. He has, however, always consistently refused, preferring rather to serve
his country by attending faithfully to the duties of private life. One of his
brothers is a clergyman in the Baptist Church in Washington, and another still
resides in Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Teale have five children, viz.: W. R., living at
home; George W., farming across the valley, Charles, farming near home, and
married; James, farming near home, and Emma, the wife of E. F. Pratt, of
Knight's 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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