Читать книгу History of Fresno County, Vol. 4 - Paul E. Vandor - Страница 21

The bright prospects held forth by the fertile valleys of California have allured many an ambitious young man to the "land of sunshine and flowers."' Prominent among these valleys is that of the great San Joaquin, unexcelled for salubrity of climate, beauty of situation and fertility of soil. About the center of this valley lies the county of Fresno.

Among the enterprising young men who came to Fresno County while the country was new, is James Henry Good, who came from his native state of West Virginia, where he was born at Hamlin, Lincoln County, on December 3, 1873. His father, Samuel Henry Good, was a son of the "Old Dominion," born in Franklin County, and served at the age of sixteen as volunteer in the Southern army during the trying days of our great civil conflict. Upon returning to his home at the close of the war, he married one of the fair daughters of that state, Adeline M. Davis, removing after his marriage to Lincoln County, W. Va., where he followed the occupation of farming until he removed to Lexington, Dawson County, Nebr., where he resided until his death. Adeline Davis Good, who died in April, 1916, was the mother of seven children, of whom our subject was the third child.

James Henry Good attended the Simon Branch log schoolhouse in Lincoln County until sixteen years of age, then removing to Nebraska, where he worked on his father's farm until 1894, when he came to the Pacific Coast, arriving in Fresno County October 10th. He was employed in the Tarpey vineyard for eighteen months, afterwards settling east of Clovis in the employ of others for one year. He then leased 640 acres of land from J. W. Potter, and followed ranching.

.On October 15, 1898, Mr. Good was united in marriage with Rachael Kuhn, a native of Dearborn County, Ind., a daughter of Michael and Mary (Berg) Kuhn. Before her marriage, Mrs. Good, with her parents, removed to Missouri, where her father died; her mother is still living. Rachael Kuhn was educated in the schools of Queen City, Schuyler County, Mo. She came to Fresno, in 1893, where she met and married Mr. Good. Two children have blessed their union: Glen J., who graduated at the Clovis High School in 1918; and Velma May, attending Clovis High School, class of 1920.

After his marriage Mr. Good continued grain-farming on the Potter ranch, at first harvesting with a twelve-horse team by headers, and later with a combined harvester drawn by thirty-two head of horses and mules. Seeing the great opportunity for intensive farming, in the fall of 1900 he purchased twenty acres of land, the nucleus of the present home place, setting part of it to peaches and raisin grapes, and the remainder in alfalfa. In 1901 he purchased another twenty acres, planting it to raisin grapes and alfalfa, working in addition other people's land. In 1903 he purchased another twenty acres, improving this also. In 1907 he added to his acreage forty acres of partly improved land, altogether 100 acres. Seventy acres of this land is set to vineyard, of muscat, sultanas and Thompson seedless; twenty acres to orchard, and ten acres in alfalfa.

In 1904, Mr. Good built his present commodious and modern residence, where he resides with his family. He was one of the original stockholders of the Clovis Farmers' Union, and one of the directors. This company built a raisin-packing plant and operated it until they sold to the California Associated Raisin Company, of which he is a stockholder and member. He is also a member of the California Peach. Growers, Inc. For a number of years he was Council Commander of Pine Burr Camp, Woodmen of the World, at Clovis, and his wife is an active member of the Neighbors of Woodcraft. Mr. Good is a member and trustee of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, and is ex-president of its board of stewards, and has been president of the Epworth League, and is teacher of the young people's class. Always interested in having good schools, he has served acceptably as trustee of Jefferson School District and has been clerk of the board.

Mr. Good made his first trip back to Nebraska to visit his mother and relatives, in 1900, and in 1904, with his family, he went back to Missouri and then went on to his old West Virginia home. Again, in 1908, he made a trip to his old home in West Virginia, and in 1919, with his family, he made an extended trip east, visiting Nebraska, Missouri, and West Virginia, and also the interesting points in various eastern cities.

Mr. Good has seen Fresno County develop to its present position of importance in the commonwealth, and in his untiring efforts to assist in that development he has been instrumental in bringing many new settlers to the county.