San Luis Obispo-Santa Clara-Los Angeles County CA Archives Biographies.....Van Gordon, Ira 1820 - ************************************************ 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 August 9, 2006, 4:01 pm Author: Thompson & West (1883) IRA VAN GORDON, A veteran ranchero of San Luis Obispo County, a pioneer of California, and a soldier of the Mexican War, was born in Tioga County, Pennsylvania, February 12, 1820. Amid the hills of the "Keystone State" where the waters flow eastward to the Susquehanna and the Atlantic, and westward to the Ohio and the Gulf of Mexico, Mr. Van Gordon passed his youthful years, attending the schools as do all ambitious American boys, and from his parents learning the duties of a farmer. In 1837, when seventeen years of age, he moved to the new State of Michigan, where he lived two years and then followed the declining sun to the prairies of Illinois. After a three years' residence in that State, he returned to Michigan, tarrying there two years. During these years of pilgrimage he pursued the occupation of a farmer. At that period he had arrived at the age when his vigorous manhood should manifest itself, and he cast about for his future field of operations. Far away upon the Pacific Coast was the American land of Oregon, to which many were emigrating, and south of it was the Mexican country called California, of which dim stories had been told of its great valleys, rivers, and harbors, its vast herds of cattle, its genial climate, and the hope was whispered that it might soon become an American possession. To the Pacific Coast young Van Gordon decided to go, and, joining a party of emigrants in the spring of 1846, started on the great journey as a driver of a team of oxen. Many of the emigrants of that year met with terrible disaster, but the train in which Mr. Van Gordon came, after traveling six months from the frontier of Missouri, arrived safely in the valley of the Sacramento. The fall and winter of 1846 was spent at the mission of Santa Clara. The war with Mexico had commenced while the emigrants were on the plains, and upon their arrival in California, they were much surprised as well as gratified to find the flag of their country flying over Sutter's Fort, and on every flag-staff, and that California was part of the United States. Where they had expected to be foreigners in a strange land, they found themselves in their own country, and welcomed by their own countrymen. Peace prevailed when they came into the country, but shortly thereafter the Californians rose in arms and the war was renewed. Fremont raised a battalion and marched to the south, and volunteers were raised to defend the people and towns in the north. Mr. Van Gordon joined the volunteers, and aided in putting down the insurrection and securing peace. The battle of the San Gabriel and of the Mesa, near Los Angeles, followed by the surrender of the Mexican forces to Fremont at the Cahuenga Pass closed the war in California, and in the spring of 1847 the volunteers were disbanded. Mr. Van Gordon then went to the mission of San Jose and commenced farming, remaining thus engaged during the year. The discovery of gold was made in the winter of 1847-48, but before the excitement became great he went to the redwoods, and there made shakes, shingles, and lumber for San Francisco, continuing this quiet business while the country was running mad after gold. Six months passed while so employed, when he took the gold fever and went to the mines on the American River. After four months' successful mining, he returned to the mission of San Jose and there resumed farming, where each acre that year, and in 1849, and for several years following, produced a crop worth a thousand dollars. In 1851 Mr. Van Gordon went to Los Angeles County and commenced raising, buying, and shipping grapes to San Francisco, doing a very large business in that line, continuing in it for two years. From Los Angeles he went to San Diego County, purchasing mules for the Government, and afterwards engaging in stock-raising, spending two and a half years in that county. In 1856 he went to Tulare County, and there established a ranch and raised and fatted cattle, remaining there for a period of eleven years. From Tulare County he removed to San Luis Obispo County in 1868, where he has since lived, carrying on an extensive business in stock-raising, farming, and dairying. His ranch contains about 3,000 acres, and he keeps 175 cows. His residence is where he first located in 1868, about midway between Cambria and San Simeon, and is shown by an engraving reproduced in this book. Mr. Van Gordon was married in 1841 to Miss Rebecca Harlan, a native of Indiana, and two sons are now living to cheer the old age of their parents. Additional Comments: Extracted from: HISTORY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY CALIFORNIA WITH Illustrations and Biographical Sketches OF ITS PROMINENT MEN AND PIONEERS. OAKLAND, CAL. THOMPSON & WEST 1883. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/sanluisobispo/bios/vangordo997nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/cafiles/ File size: 5.3 Kb