Yolo-Placer County CA Archives Biographies.....Wolgamott, Joseph 1828 - ************************************************ 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 January 18, 2006, 5:05 pm Author: Tom Gregory (1913) JOSEPH WOLGAMOTT In this era of twentieth century progress those who travel swiftly and comfortably across the continent cannot realize the difficulties and perils that surrounded the emigrants of the pioneer period, nor can they, refreshing themselves in the sunshine of western civilization, grasp the knowledge of hardships incident to the primitive conditions characterizing the middle portion of the nineteenth century. In conversing with pioneers one is brought to realize more forcibly the difficulties under which they labored and the obstacles they were forced to surmount in their endeavor to build homes for themselves and develop farms for their descendants. Always their names will be held in grateful remembrance by an appreciative citizenship and will bear an imperishable renown in the annals of the west. The turning point in the life of Joseph Wolgamott was his decision to come to the western coast. Reared and educated in Dayton, Ohio, where his birth occurred January 22, 1828, he had earned his own livelihood from an early age and was well qualified physically to endure the hardships of pioneering. During the spring of 1849 he started for the coast with a train of emigrants and proceeded slowly but in safety via Fort Laramie and the sink of the Humboldt into California, where the expedition disbanded at Hangtown, Placer county. For three years the youthful adventurer tried his luck in the mines and then returned to Ohio in order to bring back to the coast his bride and his brother David. The second journey was more perilous than its predecessor. The expedition was unusually large, comprising one hundred and seventeen wagons. A short distance of the route had been covered when disease began to incapacitate the emigrants. Some lingered long unable to walk or eat, others passed away after a brief illness. The condition became so alarming that the expedition disbanded. Many of the wagons turned back to civilization, others scattered along different routes, hoping thereby to escape the disease. About twenty of the original band kept together and finished their journey without separating. Meanwhile death reduced their ranks and even the cattle died in large numbers. On one occasion Indians attacked the emigrants and, a herd of buffalo stampeding at the same time, when animals and savages had disappeared at the expiration of five hours, it was found that many of the whites had been killed. The survivors were overjoyed when, weak from sickness and weary from exposure, they finally landed at their destination. The marriage of Mr. Wolgamott united him with Ruth Ryder, a native of Michigan. They became the parents of four sons and three daughters, namely: George, Joseph H., David, Samuel, Ella, Alma and Aletha. George is the father of four children; Ella, Mrs. Nicholas Miles, of the Capay valley, has five children; and Joseph H., who married Rosetta Inman, has three children, Claude, Esther and Ada. David, who makes his home in Idaho, married Myrtle Burnett and has two children. Alma, Mrs. J. A. White, makes her home in San Bernardino, Cal. Aletha is the mother of two children by her union with Charles A. Mienwald, a resident of Washington. Various occupations engaged the attention of Joseph Wolgamott after he came to the west. After he abandoned mining he opened a blacksmith shop at Woodland, Yolo county, and for almost fifteen years he followed that trade. For nine years he devoted himself to ranching, his specialty being the raising of sheep. From the ranch he went to Capay and became proprietor of the hotel, which he conducted for seven years. He died in Woodland, August 4, 1908; his wife had died two years before. The son, Joseph H., took up a claim in Oregon and remained there until he proved up on it, after which he disposed of the land, situated in Klamath county. Returning to California in 1892, he has since remained in Capay, Yolo county, engaged in farming and horticulture. His conviction as to the adaptability of the soil and climate to fruit-growing has led him to undertake horticultural pursuits and he has started an orchard, it being his expectation to make a specialty of almonds in the future. Fraternally he has been identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows for years and in politics he has voted with the Republican party ever since he cast his first presidential ballot. 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/wolgamot362bs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/cafiles/ File size: 5.3 Kb