AZRO RANDALL
Berryessa
Bio-Pen Pictures
SURNAMES: McCLAIN
Azro Randall was born in Topham, Orange County, Vermont, July 15, 1825. His father died in his infancy, and the continued sickness of his mother left him to the mercies of the world, and he was bound out to Hale Grow, a farmer residing near the place of his birth. His term of servitude was to extend until he reached the age of twenty-one years, but the ill treatment he received caused him to leave Mr. Grow long before that age. When sixteen years old he ran away from his guardian, but was induced upon the promise of better treatment to return. He then staid until he was eighteen, when he left, and until 1853 was working at various pursuits in Vermont. In this latter year he came by the Isthmus route to California. Immediately upon his arrival in San Francisco he left for El Dorado County, where he was engaged in mining until 1861. In this year he came to Santa Clara County, and engaged in the lumber business here and in Santa Cruz County until 1865, when he sold out his interests, and for the next four years was engaged as a foreman in constructing the San Jose Water Company’s works. In 1869 he purchased an orchard in the Willows, upon which he lived until 1873, when he sold out and returned to the redwoods, and was engaged for a year in the lumber business. In 1874 he rented one hundred and nine acres of land east of Berryessa, after which he purchased the same place and conducted farming operations until 1887. In this year he purchased twenty acres of fine orchard property at Berryessa, upon which he is now residing. This place is fully improved and very productive. Ten acres are devoted to apricots, while two and one-half acres are in French prunes. There is also about one acre each of apples, peaches, and cherries, and he has a few trees of plums, pears, almonds, etc. A productive vineyard of five acres is producing grapes of the Zinfandel variety.
In 1868 Mr. Randall
was united in marriage with Annie McClain, a native of Canada, but a resident of
Santa Clara County. From this marriage have been born six children: Mary
Elizabeth Frances, Arriette Anna, Stasia Loretta, Lillie Cecelia, Teresa Isabel,
and Ida Lucy. Mr. Randall was in his early youth deprived of nearly all the
advantages of schooling, but he is a man of good sound sense, and energetic and
industrious habits, which have enabled him to achieve success and gain a fair
share of this world’s goods.
Pen Pictures From The Garden of the World or Santa Clara County, California, Illustrated. - Edited by H. S. Foote.- Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1888.
Pg. 228-229
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler
Proofread by Betty Vickroy
SANTA CLARA COUNTY BIOGRAPHY PROJECT