San Benito-Santa Clara County CA Archives Biographies.....Churchill, Zenas 1819 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 19, 2007, 11:38 pm

Author: Luther A. Ingersoll, Editor (1893)

ZENAS CHURCHILL-The well-known citizen whose name heads this sketch is a
resident of Tres Pinos and come to California in 1864. Few have been more active
and successful in the development of the material resources of the county than
he. He was born in the town of Alexandria, Genesee county, New York, November 2,
1819, and there lived until 1828. His parents then removed to Alden, Erie
county, New York, where they remained until 1833, and then spent six years near
Avon Springs, in Livingston county, same State. Our object spent his early youth
and manhood in Macon, Kane and DeKalb counties, Illinois. When a mere boy he was
the first to mount the first bent, a portion of the first building, a tavern
that was built in the present city of Sycamore, De Kalb.

  The father of our subject, also Zenas, was a farmer by occupation and a
natural-born mechanic. His wife was Almira Castle, and they were both natives of
Massachusetts. These two had ten children, of whom one, Enos, an inventor, is at
San Jose; another, a daughter, is in Illinois; and another daughter is in Iowa;
both daughters are married; these, with our subject, constitute the survivors of
this once large family.

  Upon coming to California, Mr. Churchill operated a threshing machine, and
later followed mercantile pursuits at San Jose until 1866. He then, by searching
the Government records at San Francisco, ascertained the existance of the
Government lands in San Benito county, and took up his present place near Tres
Pinos. He now owns 212 acres of choice land, upon which he has developed one of
the finest nurseries and farms in the State. He has demonstrated the
practicability of raising plums, peaches and apples without irrigation. While he
has proven that it can be done in his immediate locality, he does not assume
that it can be done in all others. About forty acres of his farm is set to a
variety of fruits. The beautiful nursery contains a fine variety of ornamental
and fancy shade trees, beside a full stock of fruit trees. He has about 10,000
assorted table-grape vines. His farm is in a fine state of cultivation.

  Our subject married, in 1846, Miss Marion Parker, a daughter of Arza Parker, a
farmer of Illinois. Mrs. Churchill died October 28, 1891, leaving two sons and
one daughter.


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.


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