CHARLES W. YOUNG-ALVISO PIONEER

makes his home on a beautiful tract of land, adjoining the town of Alviso, on its eastern boundary, and situated in the Alviso District. He is the owner of eighty-two acres, eight acres of which are yielding strawberries of the Sharpless, Longworth, and Cheney varieties. The remainder of his land, with the exception of that devoted to 200 fruit-trees, is devoted to the raising of hay and grain, and for stock purposes. Three artesian wells furnish an abundant supply of water for irrigation and other purposes. Mr. Young has a comfortable and commodious residence, surrounded by well-ordered grounds. He also owns 379 acres of land located one-half mile north of the Alviso and Milpitas road, and about two miles east of his home farm. This tract is devoted entirely to hay, grain, and stock, and is furnished with water from one fine artesian well.

The subject of this sketch dates his birth in Cayuga County, New York, January 26, 1826. His parents were natives of Rhode Island. He was left an orphan while yet an infant, and was taken into the family of John Wilson, a resident of Cayuga County. He was reared and schooled with the same care and attention that were given to Mr. Wilson’s own children. Trained to labor, and given such education as the schools of that period afforded, he laid the foundation of those industrious and energetic habits that, exercised in his after life, have insured his success. He remained with Mr. Wilson until he was twenty-three years of age, after which he engaged in various occupations - among them that of a tanner. In 1852 he left New York, by the Isthmus route, for California, and reached San Francisco in June of that year. The first year of his life in this State was devoted to mining in Tuolumne County. Not meeting with the hoped-for results, he returned to the city and worked in the flour mills of I. Friedlander and others for about five years. In July, 1858, he came to Alviso, and entered the large flouring mills of Rowley & Adams, in whose employ he worked faithfully for ten years. During the latter part of that time he was also engaged in the production of grain in his present homestead, of which he took possession as a resident in 1868. Since that time he has devoted his time exclusively to the cultivation of his fine farm, and reaps the reward of his industry in the good condition of his property. He is widely known as an intelligent and public-spirited citizen. He has served several terms as School Trustee in his district. Politically he is a strong and consistent Republican, taking an interest in all the political questions of the day.

On the sixth of September, 1862, Mr. Young was united in marriage with Miss Mary Paulina Berryessa, the daughter of Guadaloupe Berryessa, of Santa Clara County. They have had but one child, Mary Frances, who died September 26, 1881, at the age of fourteen years. They circumstances attending the death of this young girl were peculiarly sad. With her mother she had attended the funeral obsequies in commemoration of the death of President Garfield. Returning home their horse became frightened, and Miss Young, in her alarm, sprang from the buggy, and received such severe injuries as to cause her death within a few minutes.

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. p. 547-548

Transcribed by Kathy Sedler
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C.W. YOUNG
Pioneer of Alviso, California

Born in Cayuga county, New York, January 26, 1826, and was there educated,
and reared as a farmer. In 1852 he came to California, arriving in July and
at once went to the mines near Sonora. Coming back, at the end of a year,
to San Francisco, he entered the employ of I. Friedlander, and was with him
four years. He next was engaged by Kennedy & Hopkins for a year. He then in
1858, came to Santa Clara county, and settled at Alviso. Here he was for
ten years in the Alviso flour mills, and is now a farmer. Married,
September 6, 1862, Mary Pollard, and has an only child, Mary F.

The Pioneer, published San Jose, Saturday, February 25, 1882