Tulare County Biographies

David Burris

Submitted by Sally Kaleta, May, 2007

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://calarchives4u.com/

These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit 
or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations 
desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain 
the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of 
the submitter. All persons donating to this site retain the rights to 
their own work.

	David Burris, a prominent pioneer of California and of the 
most highly respected citizens of Tulare County, is a native of Missouri, born 
in Cooper County in 1824. His father, Henry Burris, a native of Kentucky, was a 
soldier in the war of 1812 and a pioneer farmer and stock-raiser in Missouri. 
Mr. Burris was the fifth son of six boys in a family of ten children, and both 
his parents died when he was about twenty years of age. When the gold fever 
swept along the western coast, over the mountains and across the continent, 
young Burris was one of its victims. Hitherto his life had been spent on a farm 
in Missouri. He joined a large company of adventurous young men at Pleasant 
Hill, Cass County, that State, crossed the plains with ox teams and reached the 
mining districts of California in the fall of 1849, coming by Lassen's cut-off 
and ranch, through Goose Lake country, by Pit River and down to Feather River. 
Mr. Burris began mining on Feather River and followed that occupation nearly 
three years, meeting with marked success. At one time he took from a single pan 
of dirt $121, and panned out $150 in a day. He made a deal of money, but, 
unfortunately, engaged in damming the river, and in that enterprise lost 
heavily. He mined in different places, and in 1852, returned East, making the 
journey via the Isthmus of Panama. In 1856 he closed out his farming interests 
there and again came to California. This time he drove a hundred head of cattle 
across the plains and brought up in Solano County. After remaining there one 
year he drove his cattle to Tulare County, and turned them loose at King's 
River, the site of his present ranch. No stock-men were nearer than twelve 
miles, settlers were few and far apart, and the antelope, the coyote and the 
wild horse roved at will over the vast uninhabited country. After the land was 
surveyed and put on the market, he purchased 800 acres, for which he paid $1.25 
per acre in greenbacks, equal to forty cents in gold. There were only a few oak 
trees on this land, and, with the exception of some wet places, the plains were 
barren. In 1869 Mr. Burris tried to dispose of his now valuable land at $2 per 
acre, but could find no buyer. The number of his cattle had increased to over 
three thousand head, and, failing to make a sale of his land, he sold his stock, 
throwing in the land, for all of which he received $75,000. After disposing of 
his stock interests, Mr. Burris engaged in banking, and has the honor of helping 
to start several banking institutions in California, namely: the Bank of Santa 
Rosa, in 1870; the Bank of Ukiah, Mendocino County, in 1872; and the Sonoma 
Valley Bank in 1875. For the latter institution he erected a fine building, was 
the first president of the bank and still occupies that important position. In 
1884, he returned to King's River, finding that during his absence the country 
had undergone a wonderful change. Since that time he has been engaged in farming 
and stock-raising here, also loaning money and making various investments. He 
now owns 4,160 acres of land in one body, six miles west of Traver, and his 
well-cultivated fields are traversed by canals of flowing water, 700 acres being 
devoted to alfalfa. In 1885 he erected on this place a splendid residence, which 
is surrounded with all the comforts of life and which is one of the beautiful 
homes for which this sunny clime is famed. Mr. Burris also owns some 1,600 acres 
of land in other parts of the county. Among his stock are found some of the 
finest specimens of both trotters and draft horses, and his cattle are graded 
with the best Durham Stock. Mr. Burris was married in Sacramento in 1857, to 
Miss Julia A. Wilburn, a native of Texas, who for over thirty years has been the 
partner of his joys and sorrows. Ten children have blessed their union, six sons 
and four daughters. One daughter lives at Ukiah, and the others reside near 
their parents in Tulare County. Mr. Burris has been a Republican since the 
organization of that party, and during the war was a strong Union man, rendering 
efficient services to his party and country. He never hesitated to say or do 
what he thought to be right. About the time he made his second journey to 
California political excitement ran high, and many were the thrilling 
experiences through which he passed. Mr. Burris was made a Mason in Solano in 
1870. He still owns his home there, and during his residence in that place had 
the pleasure of being a warm friend of General Vallejo. While at Solano he was 
Master of the Masonic lodge three years; is now a Royal Arch Mason and Master of 
the Blue Lodge at Traver. Possessing the attributes of a pioneer, Mr. Burris has 
bravely met and overcome many an obstacle, and has been a humble though none the 
less potent factor in the development of this great State of California. 

Source: "The Memorial and Biographical History of the County of Fresno, Tulare 
and Kern, California," Lewis Publ. Co., 1892, pp. 433-434.