A Microhistory of Family Farming And

THE LEWELLINGS: A MICROHISTORY OF FAMILY FARMING AND AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN CALIFORNIA, 1850 - 2010 by - Sandra leland Price A thesis submitted to Sonoma State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS in Interdisciplinary Studies Dr. laura A- Watt. Chair Date Copyright 2011 By Sandra Leland Price ii AUTHORIZATION FOR REPRODUCTION OF MASTER'S THESIS I grant permission for the reproduction of this thesis in its entirety, without further authorization from me, on the condition that the person or agency requesting reproduction absorb the cost and provide proper acknowledgment of authorship_ DATE: n rJriu1l0\ \ . Signature Street Address City, State, Zip iii THE LEWELLINGS: A MICROHISTORY OF FAMILY FARMING AND AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN CALIFORNIA, 1850 - 2010 Thesis by Sandra Leland Price ABSTRACT Purpose of the Study: This study examines the role of one family in detail to obtain information about family farming and the development of agriculture in CalifomiR Looking at the motivations and experiences of this successful family yields an intimate view of the activities of family farmers in California from the Gold Rush until the present. Procedure: This is an interdisciplinary study that uses the techniques of geography, history and cultural landscape studies, through oral histories, examination of material in the family archives and historic resources. Reading the landscape, that is looking at the land itself, reveals often ignored information about the family who lived on the land. The goal of my research is to determine the values and motivations as well as the activities of the Lewelling family. Findings: To a great extent, family farmers have been ignored by historians. John Lewelling played a pivotal role in the development of agriculture in several areas of California. His activities extended beyond agriculture as he took a leadership role in the development of many groups that promoted agriculture and the improvement of cultural life in the communities where he lived. He followed the same pathways of many settlers in California, but his successes were extraordinary. Conclusion: Family farmers are disappearing in California, therefore it is imperative that their stories be collected before their contributions are forgotten. By studying the life of John Lewelling and his family, I have discovered a family that was exceptional, rather than ordinary. Some of the networks they established to help farming families are still active today in the state. Chair: Signature MA Program: Interdisciplinary Studies Date: ~{~/f t Sonoma State University iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. Introduction...........................................................................1 Methods...............................................................................5 Microhistory.........................................................................7 Historiography....................................................................13 II. Reading the Landscape .....................................................23 Context of the landscape ...................................................33 III. Who was John Lewelling? .................................................57 The Midwest. ...................................................................58 The Gold Country............................................................ 65 San Lorenzo ....................................................................72 St. Helena ........................................................................78 IV. Networks to help the farmers ................................................83 V. How the Lewellings held onto their land .............................. 107 Conclusion...........................................................................132 Bibliography.........................................................................137 Appendix.............................................................................143 v List of Figures Figure 1: Map of St. Helena showing Lewelling property............................. 29 Figure 2: Bird's eye view of Lewelling property...........................................• 31 Figure 3: Bird's eye view of Lewelling property............................................ 32 Figure 4: Bust of John Lewelling ..................................................................38 Figure 5: Layout of Lewelling Homeplace ....................................................41 Figure 6: Property Type Summary Chart ..................................................... 46 Figure 7: Map of Gold Country.................................................................... 65 Figure 8: Map of San Lorenzo ....................................................................73 Figure 9: Portrait of John Lewelling ...........................................................106 Figure 10: Photograph of motor vehicle ....................................................115 Figure 11: Map of Lewelling property 1940 .............................................131 a Figure 12: Map of Lewelling property 2007 .............................................131 b Figure 13: Chart for Steven Taplin ..........................................................131 c Figure 14: Questions about Lewelling family.......................................... 131 d vi CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION t Introduction In 1850, John Lewelling was one of thousands of men who traveled to California to search for gold. Like many others, he realized that his future was not in gold mining but in another of California's nascent industries--agriculture. John Lewelling and his descendants were active in the development of California agriculture during the next 140 years, first growing fruit for local urban markets and developing a nursery, later producing wheat for national and international markets, then growing deciduous fruits and nuts, and ultimately shifting to viticulture where they have remained involved since the late 19th century in the Napa Valley. Unlike many California farmers, the Lewellings have retained most of their land and their investment in farming for several generations. The history of this family parallels the development of agriculture in California and offers insight into the strategies used by California farm families making decisions about the use of their land. The miners, merchants and others who migrated to California during the early 1850s needed to be fed. They were hungry for fresh food, bread and beef. Just as some men realized that they could become wealthy by selling supplies to miners, others realized that they might make a fortune selling agricultural products. Very quickly farming communities sprang up near major towns and waterways within a one hundred mile radius of San Francisco. There was an arc of agriculture that stretched from the foothills of the Gold Country to the port city. In foothill towns near Auburn and Placerville, fruit orchards and vegetable farms 2 thrived. Land near Petaluma at the north end of the San Francisco Bay was used for cattle and later wheat and eggs. The towns of San Lorenzo, Niles, Oakland and San Leandro in the East Bay were the sites of orchards and nurseries that furnished plants that farmers cultivated to make their fortunes. The land of California was so fertile that fruit and vegetables grew to immense sizes and commanded top prices.Turnips raised in Solano County grew as large as water buckets.1 John Lewelling grew cherries that were over three inches in circumference.2 Many of the new migrants were experienced farmers, but the land in California was different from where they had been farming. The farmers had to learn which crops were best suited to new lands, and they also needed to learn to irrigate some crops. Most of the farmers came from Eastern or Midwestern states where rainfall was abundant and predictable. In California, they learned how to dry farm or to irrigate the crops by constructing new waterways or reconstructing aqueducts developed by the missionaries. Labor for farming was a concern if the land to be farmed was extensive. During the later decades of the 19th century, California's farmers grappled with problems they encountered with labor, transportation, water issues, marketing, surpluses, and price fixing by large corporations. Organizations I Kristin Delaplane and Sabine Goerke-Shrode, Solano's Gold: The People and Their Orchards, (Vacaville: Vacaville Museum,1999). 2. John Lewelling's brother, Henderson sold apples for five dollars each in San Francisco during the Gold Rush. Knave, Oakland Tribune, 'Trees Prove Monuments to Men Who Cultivated Them," Sunday, May 25,1969,25,28. 2 "Mammoth Cherries," Daily Evening Bulletin, Tuesday, June 28, 1870. 3 formed to help the farmers: the Grange defended the farmers against the railroads, county extensions taught farmers to farm efficiently, cooperatives improved the marketing of farm products, and state boards helped various farming groups work together for the benefit of all. The farmers needed to unite in order to overcome their many challenges.3 In the early days of agriculture, the family farm usually included many members of a large family, all of whom worked on the property. Two or three generations might be involved in farming. The days were long and hard. Many family farms were marginally productive and the choice of which crops to raise was of paramount importance. Family farmers generally raised a diversity of crops so if one crop failed, they would have others to sell.

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