Tehama-San Francisco-Yuba County CA Archives Biographies.....Walton, Alfred 1822 - ************************************************ 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 17, 2007, 11:56 pm Author: Lewis Publishing Co. (1891) ALFRED WALTON came to California with the Jones expedition in 1842 in the United States sloop Dale. He has seen much of the world, and ranks among the pioneers of this great State. A sketch of his life is as follows: Mr. Walton was born in Walton, England, October 22, 1822. He served in the navy for three years as a volunteer, and two years more after his first term had expired. He returned to Philadelphia and was there discharged, after which he went back to England. He then emigrated to Iowa, and there carried on farming from 1844 to 1849. In the latter year he joined a company, under command of George M. Dallas, to come to California. When they reached the Green River, they attempted to go down the stream with canoes, and, after passing the mouth of the White River, they were upset and lost their provisions, being able to save only a sack of flour and some bacon. Nothing daunted, however, they continued their way westward and fell in with a friendly Indian, who explained to them, with a stick, the trail across the desert. Thirteen of them started across the trail for Fort Utah. They packed water and had for their daily rations a spoonful of flour mixed with water. As a relish with this they ate crickets and grasshoppers, and sometimes got a rabbit away from the buzzards. They made the journey to Fort Utah in safety and started for Los Angeles with wagons. At Desert Spring, Colorado Desert, they left the wagons and continued their way on foot, going through Cajon Pass. At Los Angeles he made an arrangement with a man who was buying cattle, whereby he, Mr. Walton, was to drive a team to a place near San Francisco, and was to get his board for services rendered. The stock-dealer provided the men with a gun and told them to kill the Spanish cattle to subsist on; and that was the way he furnished board! In San Francisco Mr. Walton worked at whatever he could get to do for awhile, and was paid six dollars per day. From there he went to the mines at Bidwell's Bar on Feather River. On the North Fork of that river he got plenty of gold; took out as high as $500 in a single pan, but had to dig several days to get down to it. He exhausted that claim and afterward went on a prospecting tour. In Shasta County he took a ranch at what is now Kimball's Plain and engaged in raising cattle. After being thus engaged for a time, he went to the town of Shasta, and, with John Scott, conducted a hotel. He subsequently engaged in mule teaming and packing, and came to Red Bluff, where he followed that business six or eight years. He was also interested in the sheep business. In Red Bluff he purchased lots five and six, block fifty-two, near where the railroad has since been built, and there erected a home, lived and reared his family. Misfortune overtook him; he trusted too much; sold stock and teams on time; hard times came on and the parties left the country and Mr. Walton was financially ruined. During the mining excitement in Idaho, he went all through that country and tried to recover some of his bad debts, but was unsuccessful, and came back to Red Bluff a poor man. He then turned his attention to any kind of work he could get to do. In 1874 he purchased a dairy and engaged in the milk business, which he has since followed. In this he has been very successful. Their present house was built in 1876. December 18, 1860, Mr. Walton married Mrs. Mary Ann Reeves, a native of Ireland. She came to the United States when she was fourteen years of age. They have had five children, three sons and two daughters, all born in Red Bluff, viz: Agnes, now Mrs. Henry Frank; Thomas, Alfred and Mollie. One of the children is deceased. The family are members of the Catholic Church. Mr. Walton was reared an Episcopalian. He is a lively old gentleman who has seen a great deal of pioneer life. 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. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/tehama/bios/walton710gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/cafiles/ File size: 5.1 Kb