of the Berryessa Districty, owns and resides upon sixty-five acres of
rich land, located on the Milpitas and Berryessa road, about five and
one-half miles northeast of San Jose, and two miles south of
Milpitas. With the exception of a portion reservd for a small
orchard, this farm is devoted to the growing of hay and grain, and the
raising of such stock as is needed for carrying on the operations of
the farm. The family residence is a comfortable cottage, and is
surrounde by substantial out-buildings, the aspect of the whole propery
giving evidence of the position of its owner, - that of a prosperous
farmer. He also owns 120 acres of land a mile west of Mipitas, on
the north side of the Alviso and Milpitas road. Of this property,
five acres are devoted to the cultivation of strawberries of the
Sharpless variety, four acres to blackberries and raspberries, eight
acres to asparagus, and twenty acres to vegetables,-onions,
tomatoes, poratoes, etc. The remainder of the land is used for
the growing of grain and hay. The needed water is supplied by
three artesain well, one of which has a flow of five inches above a
seven-inch pipe.
Mr. Cropley was born in Nova Scotia, February 3, 1847, and is the son
of James and Rebecca (Elliott) Cropley, natives and residents of Nova
Scotia. His father was a farmer, and Mr. Cropley was reared to
that industry, his education being received in the public schools of
his district. When twenty years of age, he left home and located
in Boston, Massachursetts, wehre he spent about a year in working a the
carpenter's trade, and at other callings, leaving in 1868 to
come, by the Panama route, to California. Upon his arrival in San
Francisco, he went immediately to Alameda County, and there lived for
two years, engaged in farm labor. He then rented land and
conducted farming operations on his own account also buying
threshing-machines, and engaging in thresing grain. He made
his home in Alameda County until 1875, when he removed to Santa
Clara County. Here he engagedin farming, and four years after
coming to the county purchased the property whcih we have
described. He is still extensively engaged in raising hay and
grain on rented lands, and employs a large force of men and
machines in thresing grain during the season.
Mr. Cropley married, in 1879, Miss Henrietta Abel, the daughter of
George H. and Mary Ann (Marks) Abel who were native of England , but
resident of Stockton, Califnroa. Mr and Mrs. Cropley have four
children: Henry H., Marshall F., James, and Reece T.
The subject of our sketch is a man of energy and amibition. He is
a practical agriculturist, and carried on, successfully and profitable,
not only his large farming operations on the lands which we have noted,
but also on property in other parts of the county. He is connectd
with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, being a member of Mission
Peak Lodge, No 114, of Alameda County . He is a strong
Republican, and yet liberal in his poitical views.
SOURCE: 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. page 451
Transcirbed by Carolyn Feroben