Yolo County CA Archives Biographies.....Lawson, Budd And Syl 1873 - ************************************************ 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@gmail.com December 8, 2005, 5:28 pm Author: Tom Gregory LAWSON BROTHERS Among Yolo county's successful ranchers and dairymen none, perhaps, are better known or more highly respected than the Lawson brothers, Budd and Syl by name, who throughout their lives have resided in that section, their interests at present being centered in the development of approximately two thousand acres of land in the vicinity of Woodland. Born on Willow Slough, Yolo county, the brothers spent their youth on the farm of their parents, Samuel and Emma (Wright) Lawson, who were born, respectively, in Sweden and England. When a lad of eight years the father went to sea, shipping on English vessels, and in time he became mate. On one of his voyages, in the year 1868, he rounded Cape Horn and landed at San Francisco. Pleased with the outlook he determined to make his future home in the Golden State and made settlement in Yolo county seven miles southeast of Woodland. There he later married Emma Wright, who had come overland from Illinois with her parents, the tedious journey behind plodding oxen coming to an end in Yolo county in November, 1851, after which Mr. Wright took up farming and became a factor in the development of this section of country. After his marriage Samuel Lawson located on a quarter section of land on Willow Slough, where he carried on farming successfully until death ended his labors in 1896, when he was seventy-two years of age. His wife survived a number of years, passing away January 19, 1909, at the age of sixty-nine. All of the four children born to them are living and are named as follows: Syl, the senior member of the firm of Lawson Brothers; Lena, Mrs. Strawbridge, of Woodland; Emma, Mrs. Cunningham, also residing in the old home; and Budd, the junior member of the firm. For the past eighteen years, or since 1894, the Lawson Brothers have been in partnership in a farming and dairying enterprise that from the start has proved a paying venture. After carrying on the home place for a time they rented adjoining land on which they made a specialty of grain raising, having at one time about five thousand acres under cultivation. Their first venture on land of their own was on the old home place, which they had purchased in the meantime, as well as one hundred and sixty acres of land adjoining, all of which they put in grain. Their holdings were further increased by the purchase of eighty acres one mile west of Woodland, this land being devoted to raising alfalfa to supply their dairy herd and not for market. Besides the land mentioned they also operate on lease four hundred and eighty acres near Knights Landing in grain and alfalfa, and fourteen hundred acres on Willow slough, the latter in grain, and they harvest their great crop with a combined harvester, propelled by a caterpillar engine. The flourishing dairy business of which the brothers are now the proprietors began with thirty cows in 1903, on Willow slough. Encouraged by their success, the following year they leased the old Becket ranch of one hundred and forty acres one-half mile west of Woodland and increased their herd to about two hundred cows of the Holstein and Durham breed, milking on an average of one hundred and twenty cows. A full-blooded registered Holstein bull is at the head of the herd. The dairy is equipped with a DeLaval separator run by electric power, and during the summer season all of the cream from the ranch is shipped to Sacramento and sold for sweet cream to the confectioners. The brothers are interested in the Woodland .Cooperative Creamery Company, of which Syl Lawson is vice-president, as well as a director. The Lawson Brothers are also engaged in raising horses, mules, sheep and hogs, and in this as in every venture that they have as yet undertaken they are meeting with the success which their tireless efforts deserve. The by-product of the dairy, the skimmed milk, is used for fattening the hogs for the market, a venture which has passed the experimental stage, for there are no finer Durock Jersey hogs brought to the market in Woodland than those from the Lawson ranch, all of which have been fattened without the aid of grain. Though they have been in the dairy business only a few years the Lawson Brothers have already risen to the front rank in their line and are today the largest dairymen in Yolo county. They are also large buyers and sellers of sheep and cattle for the market, this extensive business also having grown from a modest beginning. Syl Lawson was married in Oakland August 28, 1895, to Miss Carrie Overacker, who was born in Portland, Mich., the daughter of Philander and Marcella (Headley) Overacker, the former born in Michigan and the latter in Vermont. The mother passed away in Michigan, and the father now makes his home with his daughter, Mrs. Lawson. She is a graduate of the state normal at San Jose, being a member of the class of 1892. After her graduation she taught school for three years. Mr. and Mrs. Syl Lawson are the parents of four children, Howard, Walter, Emma and Justus. Mrs. Lawson is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and takes an active interest in its various organizations. Mr. Lawson is identified with the Woodmen of the World and politically he is a Republican. In addition to the partnership interests already mentioned, Syl Lawson was for five years associated with the Alameda Beet Company as superintendent. On the advent of the .company in Yolo county he became interested in securing beet land and in creating an interest in beet-raising among the farmers. It is interesting to note in this connection that the first beets were hauled to the railroad in sacks and dumped into the cars. Budd Lawson is giving his attention to the management of their agricultural and grain growing interests, while Syl attends to the dairy interests of the firm. The former is clerk of the board of trustees of the Willow Slough school district, having held it for the past four years. He is a member of the Woodland Lodge No. 111, I. O. O. F., towards the charities of which he is a liberal contributor. In retrospection the Lawson brothers frequently survey the changes that have taken place in Yolo county since they were boys. Then the country was in its original state, thickly covered with live oak trees, and Woodland in those days had only two small stores and a few scattered homes. Loyal to the beautiful valley in which they were born, and which they have assisted materially in developing, their opinion is unanimous concerning the superior^ ity of this section over the many localities which they have visited and which have offered most attractive inducements to the home-seeker. Progressive and public spirited, they maintain an active interest in all public movements of worth and deservedly rank among the most influential citizens of the community. They may always be depended upon to stand up for the right, and in all of their dealings they have strictly adhered to the teachings of the Golden Rule. 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] File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/yolo/bios/lawson130bs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/cafiles/ File size: 7.9 Kb