San Diego-Sacramento-Sutter County CA Archives Biographies.....Allison, Robert 1814 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 21, 2006, 1:17 pm Author: Theodore S. Van Dyke ROBERT ALLISON. ONE of San Diego's representative citizens is Robert Allison. He is a native of Ohio, having been born in Washington County, near Marietta, in March, 1814. His father was a farmer and Robert's boyhood was passed with his parents, living on the old farm and attending the district school, which was held in a log building, and the seats were rough slabs on which the pupils sat and learned their tasks. When twenty-one years old he started out into the world on his own account. He bought a flat boat and made the voyage down the Ohio and Mississippi to New Orleans, carrying country produce. His first venture was successful and he continued in the trade for eight or nine years. He then removed to Illinois, and went to steam milling first at Warsaw, and afterward at Nauvoo. After following this business for five years he started for Iowa, where he bought a farm on the Black Hawk Reservation. He purchased eight hundred acres from the Government and cultivated a good portion of it. In 1850 he crossed the plains with an ox team to California. On the way they ran short of provisions, but managed to pull through and finally arrived at Placerville in the latter part of September. After a brief stay he went down to Sacramento, where he opened a hotel, which he carried on for six or eight months. He then located one hundred and sixty acres of land in Sutter County, which he cultivated, raising hay principally. After farming there for three years he returned to Iowa, where he remained a little more than a year, and then again crossed the plains to California, bringing with him some six hundred head of cattle. He located near Vacaville, Solano County, engaging in raising cattle. Then, in 1868, his health being poor, he came to San Diego. At first he did not intend to locate, but he found that his health was so greatly benefited by the change, and the country pleased him so much, that he decided to remain. He therefore wound up his business in Solano County and came here to make it his home. He bought up a large number of cattle and went into ranching and butchering. He purchased three thousand acres of the Cuyamaca and eight thousand acres of ex-Mission Grant, the latter situated about four miles from the city of San Diego. He still owns these lands, and is one of the largest cattle raisers in the county. He has now retired from active business, and devotes his time to the management of his private affairs, his three sons carrying on the ranching and butchering business. They now have over four thousand head of cattle on their ranges. Mr. Allison has never held any public office, but has devoted his attention strictly to the conduct of his business interests. He has, however, been active in all public movements and has contributed liberally to all enterprises having for their effect the advancement of the city and county. He is one of the directors and a large stockholder in the San Diego and Cuyamaca Railroad, now in course of construction. He is much opposed to intemperance, which he looks upon as the greatest curse of the age, and is an earnest and consistent advocate of prohibition. Although over seventy years of age he is as active as many men ten years younger. His health is excellent and there is every prospect that he will be spared for many years of usefulness. His faith in the future of the county is great. He believes it will yet become one of the wealthiest and most progressive of the many great counties of the State. Mr. Allison was married in Ohio in 1838, to Miss Tempa Waterman. He has had eleven children, of which four are now living, three sons and a daughter, all of whom reside in this city. Additional Comments: From: THE CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO. ILLUSTRATED, AND CONTAINING BI0GRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF PROMINENT MEN AND PIONEERS. SAN DIEGO, CAL. LEBERTHON & TAYLOR 1888 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/sandiego/bios/allison574bs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/cafiles/ File size: 4.4 Kb