Yolo-Plumas County CA Archives Biographies.....Linderman, George W. 1838 - ************************************************ 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 January 14, 2006, 5:10 pm Author: Tom Gregory (1913) GEORGE W. LINDERMAN The attainment of a gratifying degree of success through the tilling of the soil of Yolo county has caused Mr. Linderman to become a stanch believer in the advantages oifered by this portion of California. It was after a mining experience covering several years in other parts of the state that he finally came to Yolo county in 1866, and so strongly impressed was he with the appearance of the country round about that he determined to purchase land and make it his future home, and during the forty-five years that have since passed he has not regretted the step that he then took, but on the other hand has given evidence of his satisfaction by the purchase of more land from time to time. His ranch is located not far from Capay, and is watered from Cottonwood creek. In 1912 he built a new substantial and commodious residence on the place. A native of the east, George W. Linderman was born in Utica, N. Y., May 4, 1838, the son of Henry and Diana (Hammel) Linderman, they too being natives of that state. The Linderman family was of German origin and was established in the United States during an early period in its history. Six children, four sons and two daughters, comprised the family of Henry and Diana Linderman and George W. was the youngest of the number. As early as 1844, when he was about six years old, the family removed from the east to Illinois, settlement being made in Boone county, where the father took up an unimproved tract of land. The journey was made by team and wagon by way of Fort Dearborn, which boasted only a few stores and bore scant evidence of becoming in less than a half century the second city in point of population in the United States. Through untiring exertion the father acquired two hundred acres of fertile land, which he cultivated with fair success, and on the old homestead he and his wife passed away, when about seventy-five and seventy-four years old respectively. All of their children lived to attain maturity, but George W. is the only one now living. On account of the newness of the country in which the family settled school advantages were meagre indeed, so much of Mr. Linderman's education had to be acquired through personal endeavor. At the age of sixteen he went to Iowa, but returned to Illinois a year later and thereafter continued on the home farm until attaining the age of twenty-one. A new epoch in the life of the young man began when, on April 3, 1859, he set out for the far west with six companions With three wagons drawn by oxen they left Rockford, Ill., and in due time reached Rock Island. From there they went down the Mississippi and up the Missouri river to St. Joseph, Mo. There their party was increased in size, twenty wagons starting from that place on the overland trail. Pike's Peak was their destination, but on the way they met so many returning from there disappointed and discouraged that the party became divided in their opinions as to the advisability of carrying out their original plan. Three of the six boys that started from Illinois (among them Mr. Linderman) determined to change their course and come to California instead, their route taking in Landers cut-off and the Sink of the Humboldt, as well as Honeylake valley, and they finally reached Indian valley, Plumas county. For the following six years Mr. Linderman engaged in prospecting and mining, chiefly in Butte county, where with two others associated with him he was fairly successful in hydraulic mining, improving his claim during the winter months and for a time in the summer season he worked in a sawmill. For one year, 1865-66, he engaged in freighting to Belmont, Virginia City and other mining towns, using a freight wagon drawn by ten mules. The large expense involved in this undertaking did not justify its continuance, however, and after one season it was abandoned. Following this, while in search of suitable pasturage for his mules, Mr. Linderman came to Yolo county in 1866, and the same year purchased three hundred and twenty acres of his present place, a large part of which was then under cultivation. The new owner continued the work of improvement, making a specialty of raising stock and grain, and subsequently he undertook grain-raising on a large scale, leasing one thousand acres for this purpose alone. During the first two seasons of his residence in Yolo county he operated a threshing machine which he had purchased, but on account of small profits in the threshing business the venture was then abandoned. As grain-raising gradually gave place to the raising of fruit throughout this section of country Mr. Linderman wisely followed the lead of others in setting out thirty acres of his land to orchard and through a long experience in the meantime he has gained a valuable knowledge of horticulture. Besides his orchard, which is devoted largely to the raising of peaches and pears, he also has a vineyard of sixty acres, of which eight acres are in the Thompson seedless, three and one-half in Tokay, and the balance in wine grapes. In spite of his large interests as a horticulturist and vineyardist Mr. Linderman has not entirely relinquished the business that started him on the road to success, and grain and stock-raising still form a large part of the income of his ranch. The land is watered from Cottonwood creek, and in its entirety includes four hundred and fifty acres. Mrs. Linderman, before her marriage Miss Julia Clooney, was born in St. Johns, Newfoundland, the daughter of James and Mary (Murphy) Clooney. With her parents she came to California via Panama from Prince Edward Island in 1861. Seven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Linderman, as follows: James E. and George E., twins, the former foreman of the Globe ranch and the latter a blacksmith and a resident of Ralston, Wash.; Henry W., a horticulturist at Esparto; John, who is interested with his father in the care and management of the home place; Minnie, now Mrs. Harry Shuey, of Red Bluff; Mabel, Mrs. Rolla Vestal, also of Red Bluff; and Cornelius, a resident of Montana. Self-made in the best sense implied by that term, Mr. Linderman enjoys to an unusual degree the esteem and confidence of his fellow-townsmen, his personal characteristics as well as business ability and judgment winning him many friends. In his political sympathies he is a Republican. 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/linderma190gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/cafiles/ File size: 7.3 Kb