Bio-Pen Pictures           

Franklin M. Farwell was born in Morrisville, Madison County, New York, August 8, 1834.  His father, John W., was a native of Mansfield, Connecticut, where he was born November 14, 1809, and, when quite young, moved to Madison County, New York, and was married there to Nancy M. Morris, a native of that county.  Her father was also born in Connecticut, and removed at an early date to Madison County, New York.  She was born November 12, 1812.  John W. removed to New York city in 1846 and engaged in the mercantile business.  In 1849 he came to San Francisco, and in 1856 moved, with his family, to the Farwell place near Saratoga.  Previous to this date, in 1854, his son Charles took up some government land, and in 1855 built a house.  His was a squatter claim, and the main house then built still stands.  John W., the father, died September 6, 1866, and his wife died November 20, 1885.  They reared a family of six children, four of whom grew to maturity; two are now living.  Charles T. Farwell was drowned in the Fraser River in February, 1864.  William H. Farwell died in December, 1877.  The children now living are Franklin M. and Jennie M. Farwell.

            Frank M., the subject of this sketch, went to the California mines in Nevada and Sierra Counties in 1856, and mined there four or five years, when he came home and worked on the ranch till 1871; going then to San Francisco, he engaged in business there till 1878, when he returned to the ranch, where he has since lived.  This ranch originally contained 160 acres; of this, sixty acres are in trees, viz., thirty-four acres in French prunes, twenty-two acres in winter pears for shipping, two acres in peaches, and one acre containing a variety of fruits.  The apple and peach trees in the old family orchard, planted in 1856, are strong and healthy; also some plum trees twenty-five years old.  In 1884, from two of these, 700 pounds from one, and 500 pounds from the other, were gathered.  In 1886 the same results were obtained.  Mr. Farwell is one of the most enterprising and public-spirited men in his section, and is always found at the front in any movement that tends to the public good, or the relief of the unfortunate.

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. 312-313
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler
Proofread by Betty Vickroy

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