San Benito-Santa Clara County CA Archives Biographies.....Tomas, John 1843 - 
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Joy Fisher cagwarchives@gmail.com January 13, 2007, 5:02 pm

Author: Luther A. Ingersoll, Editor (1893)

JOHN TOMAS is a fair representative of a class of men who have paved their own
way over rugged paths to success. He is a resident farmer of San Benito county,
coming to California with his parents in 1853. He was born October 28, 1843, and
his father was Massey Tomas. Upon arrival in California he, father of our
subject, located at Gilroy, Santa Clara county. He had first come to California
to the mines in 1849, but returned to Missouri and brought the family, four
years later, consisting of seven sons and one daughter and his wife.

  John Tomas is one of twins and the fourth in the family. He received a liberal
education in Santa Clara county and grew up a farmer and stock-raiser, coming to
San Benito county in 1870, where he took up a squatter's claim of government
land on San Benito creek. He has acquired the title to his first claim and has
added to it until he now has 1,000 acres of tillable and grazing land. Before he
was twenty-one he went to Arizona, in the fall of 1863, and there washed his
first gold dust and assisted in killing his first Apaches. He traveled and
prospected two years in that healthful zone; was one of a company of 100 men who
elected Colonel Ring S. Wollsey, their commander, the purpose of which was to
prospect the headwaters of the Gila and Salt rivers, and in so doing discovered
the wheat patch, planted by Apaches, between Penal mountain and Salt river.
Richard Gird, the sugar factory man of Los Angeles county, was made one of their
captains. Gold was found in various places, but not in paying quantities. Three
men were killed in this expedition, one by Indians and two by carelessness. Mr.
Tomas returned to California in 1867.

  His marriage occurred in 1878, to Miss Agnes Duval, a daughter of Thomas
Duval. Her father died when she was yet a small child. The place of her birth
was Napa county, California, occurring September 25, 1859. She is a lady of
excellent domestic and business qualifications, and has borne her husband five
children, namely: Florence, born November 7, 1879; Myrtle, born June 28, 1881;
Minnie B., born May 7, 1883; Grover C, born February 19, 1886; and Marion M.,
born May 1, 1887. They are all bright intelligent children.

  Mr. Tomas is a man of enterprise and broad general information and strong
convictions. He is classed among the most successful farmers of San Benito county.


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/sanbenito/bios/tomas438gbs.txt

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