Yolo-Solano-Sonoma County CA Archives Biographies.....Fisk, Walter W. 1853 - 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 23, 2006, 9:15 pm

Author: Tom Gregory (1913)

WALTER W. FISK

    No section of the country received the news of the discovery of gold in
California with greater interest or responded more enthusiastically to the
attractions of the west than did New England, which sent many of its sturdy
young men to aid in the opening of the vast undeveloped regions near the Pacific
coast. Not the least ambitious, and certainly not the least successful, of these
eastern emigrants was the late John C. Fisk, who although no fortune awaited him
in the western mines, was yet able to achieve more than ordinary results along
other lines of activity. The geography of Sonoma county records his name in the
village of Fisk, originally known as Fisk's Mill, where he built and for years
operated the second sawmill in the county. The redwood was hauled from the
interior to his mill near the coast and after being sawed into lumber was
conveyed by vessels to the markets up and down the ocean. During the Civil war
the mill was taxed to its utmost capacity and for some years thereafter the
original builder continued at the head of the plant.

    There is little to record of the early life of John C. Fisk, except that he
was born and reared in Vermont and belonged to an honored old family of that
state. At the time of the discovery of gold he was just ready to begin the
earning of a livelihood and naturally was attracted to the coast, whither lie
came via the Horn and during 1850 engaged in mining with some success. Returning
to Vermont, he there married Miss Sarah Hubbard and in 1853 the young couple
came west by way of the Isthmus of Panama, settling on raw land near Vacaville,
Solano county. On that frontier ranch a son was born in 1853, whom they named
Walter W. Their other sons were Eugene F., George S., Charles B., Andrew J., and
Fred (deceased).

    It was after an experience of several years as a rancher in Solano county (a
part of the time as a partner of W. 0. Russell) that John C. Fisk removed to
Sonoma county and in 1860 began to saw redwood at Fisk's Mill, where a number of
years passed in busy industry. Upon selling the mill in 1868 he embarked in the
mercantile business and also carried on a hotel at Stewarts Point, on the ocean
a short distance above his earlier location. Until 1882 he remained in Sonoma
county, although meanwhile he had frequently made trips to Texas, where he had
acquired large tracts of unimproved land. On the final disposition of the
property in the Lone Star state he and his sons formed a partnership in the
purchase of twelve hundred acres in Sonoma county. A small portion of the large
ranch was planted to prunes and eventually large crops were raised for which
they were paid as high as twelve cents per pound. The father continued at the
head of this enterprise until his death in 1890 and since then the widow has
remained at the old homestead, which is still conducted by members of the family.

    After having been associated in agricultural enterprises with his father and
brothers from early youth until 1885, Mr. Fisk then started out independently
and bought a dairy ranch near Duncans Mills, Sonoma county, where for a long
period he successfully engaged in the dairy industry. From a very small herd he
increased his dairy until it comprised one hundred head of milch cows. When
finally he sold the property at a fair profit, in October of 1907 he came to
Yolo county and bought sixty-eight acres of fine alfalfa land on Putah creek,
five miles from Davis. On this place he has since engaged in dairy enterprises
and owns one hundred cows of superior milking strain, the whole forming an
investment that returns him gratifying dividends in a neat annual income. The
milk from the dairy is sold to the University farm at Davis. In his capable
efforts the owner has enjoyed the assistance of his children, Eugene and Hazel,
as well as the co-operation and wise counsel of his wife, whom he married in
1887, and who was Miss Clara Fiddlebrown, a native of Vermont, but a resident of
California from girlhood. The family have a high social standing in their
locality and are esteemed as the possessors of those sterling traits that almost
invariably characterize the New Englanders in whatever part of the world they
may be found.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from

HISTORY OF YOLO COUNTY CALIFORNIA
WITH
Biographical Sketches
OF
The Leading Men and Women of the County Who Have Been Identified With Its Growth
and Development From the Early Days to the Present

HISTORY BY
TOM GREGORY
AND OTHER WELL KNOWN WRITERS
ILLUSTRATED COMPLETE IN ONE VOLUME

HISTORIC RECORD COMPANY
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA [1913]


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