John Reid Wolfskill

John Reid Wolfskill
Born	Template:Birth date Richmond, Kentucky, United States
Died	May 27, 1897(1897-05-27) (aged 92)
Occupation(s)	Pioneer, Agriculturalist, Viticulturist
Known for	Early cultivation of vineyards and fruit orchards in Sacramento Valley; first English-speaking settler near Winters, California

John Reid Wolfskill (September 16, 1804 – May 27, 1897) was a Mexican-American pioneer instrumental in shaping California's agricultural landscape in the Sacramento Valley throughout the 19th century. In 1842, he became the earliest individual to cultivate vineyards and fruit orchards in that region. Originating from Kentucky's Bluegrass region, he joined his brother William in California, where they purchased land near Sacramento. John is acknowledged as a trailblazer in Solano County, noted as "the first English-speaking settler in the vicinity of present-day Winters, California".

William Wolfskill had previously relocated to California, concentrating on agricultural ventures in Southern California near Los Angeles. Following their establishment, their younger siblings Milton, Mathus, and Sarchal joined John at the land grant known as Rancho de los Putos, which later became recognized as the Wolfskill Ranch. In 1935, descendants of Wolfskill contributed 100 acres of this ranch to University of California, Davis for use as an experimental orchard.

Early years

Born near Richmond, Kentucky on September 16, 1804, John Reid Wolfskill was the son of Joseph and Sarah Reid Wolfskill. His paternal grandfather, Joseph Wolfskill, was a German immigrant who settled in Kentucky after residing in Philadelphia and North Carolina. His maternal grandfather, John Reid—his namesake—was an Irish immigrant and former Revolutionary War prisoner who eventually established roots in Kentucky.

In 1809, the family moved from Kentucky to Missouri, settling near the Missouri River at Boone's Lick west of St. Louis, an area experiencing rapid growth due to the fur trade. John and his brothers were raised amid this frontier setting.

Career

Wolfskill departed Missouri in 1828 for Santa Fe, New Mexico, then under Mexican rule, where his brother William Wolfskill had spent a decade working as a fur trapper. John's journey took him through Paris, Durango, Colorado, and Chihuahua, Mexico, where he spent four years serving as a guard escorting silver shipments between Chihuahua and Matamoras on eleven separate trips.

Subsequently, he sailed from Matamoras to New Orleans before returning to Missouri for two to three years. In 1836 he made his way back to New Mexico. After losing mules to theft near Oposura, Sonora, he set out to join William in Los Angeles, California. William, having become a naturalized Mexican citizen, had acquired a substantial land grant by May 1842 in what is now known as Winters, California within present-day Yolo County, California. Together they named their property Rancho Rio de los Putos, after a nearby creek.

Their younger brothers Milton, Mathus, and Sarchal later joined them on the ranch. According to a 1987 history of Yolo County, Wolfskill was the pioneer who first planted fruit trees and vineyards there in 1842.

By 1851, Wolfskill was cultivating various crops along Putah Creek (formerly Rio de los Putos), establishing orchards and vineyards within the Sacramento Valley featuring fig trees, pears, English walnuts, and grapevines brought from Los Angeles.

Initially engaged in livestock raising and supplying meat to mining camps during the late 1840s and early 1850s boom period, the Wolfskill brothers transitioned toward wheat cultivation during the 1860s. They enclosed their lands with fencing to safeguard crops. John and William divided their rancho equally; John focused primarily on fruit farming. A railroad branch passing near John's residence enhanced transportation options via Winters station. Meanwhile, William continued spearheading agricultural expansion mainly around Los Angeles.

Personal life

At the age of 54 in 1858, Wolfskill wed Susan Cooper, the daughter of Major Stephen Cooper. Together, they had four children: Edward, Melinda, Jennie, and Frances. He apportioned his ranch property among his offspring and spent his later years residing with his daughter Frances and her spouse, Samuel Taylor. Wolfskill passed away in 1897.

Legacy

In 1935, descendants of Wolfskill transferred ownership of 100 acres from the Wolfskill Ranch located in Winters to the University of California, Davis, designating it for use as a research orchard. Additionally, his nephew Timoteo was involved as a partner in the Lazard & Wolfskill dry goods enterprise, which eventually became the City of Paris department store—recognized as Los Angeles's inaugural establishment of this kind.

External links

• Kris Delaplane Conti, 'Wolfskill family set tone for Solano's future', German-American Pioneers