Fresno County Biographies

Wesley Underwood

Submitted by Sally Kaleta, May, 2007

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	Wesley Underwood, proprietor of the Stringtown Ranch, 
southeast of Lamoore, was born in Medina County, Ohio, in 1834. In 1847 his 
parents emigrated to Galesburg, Illinois, where his father was engaged in 
farming until 1854, when he again moved, to Des Moines, Iowa, and entered the 
lumber business, building a steam saw-mill and supplying both country and city 
trade. In the fall of 1858 Wesley Underwood emigrated to Nehama County, Kansas, 
and ran a  steam saw-mill until in May, 1860, when he started for California. He 
joined a company of friends, and with horses and cattle they crossed  the 
plains, passing Salt Lake, after which they took the Southern stage route, by 
Reece River, through Nevada, by the Big Tree trail, and after six months landed 
safely at Stockton. Mr. Underwood then began farming, eight miles east of 
Stockton, on Dr. Chalmer's ranch of 300 acres; but after one year he went to the 
Sand Plains, southeast of French Camp, took up land and began farming. He lived 
upon this ranch until 1864, when he homesteaded land in Stanislaus County, and 
remained about five years. Then, moving to Merced County, he purchased 200 acres 
near Hill's Ferry, and remained until the summer of 1874, when, after farming 
seven years and raising but three crops, he moved to his present ranch of forty 
acres. He hauled lumber for building purposes from the mountains, seventy-five 
miles distant, and consuming one week for the round trip. Other lumber he 
secured at Cross Creek, twenty-five miles away, and thus was able to build his 
house and outbuildings. He next planted a small family orchard and began 
farming, renting outside land to the amount of about 800 acres. In 1877 he 
bought twenty acres adjoining, which constitutes his present ranch of sixty 
acres, of which he has forty acres in fruit and vines. Mr. Underwood has traded 
extensively in lands, and now owns 260 acres, which he is selling out in colony 
lots. He also subdivided 160 acres, and thus formed the Santa Cruz Colony, 
selling in small holdings. In 1889 Mr. Underwood rented his ranch and moved to 
Santa Cruz, where he bought town lots and built a house. He is now managing his 
ranch, but still resides in Santa Cruz to enjoy the more equable climate, and 
after his line of activity will not engage again in business. He was married in 
1863, at the Cumberland Presbyterian Camp Meeting on the Stanislaus River, San 
Joaquin County, to Miss Mary Mills, a native of Tennessee. They have one child 
by adoption, called Sylvestor Underwood. 

Source: "The Memorial and Biographical History of the County of Fresno, Tulare 
and Kern, California," Lewis Publ. Co., 1892, pp. 495-496.