Bio-Sawyers
SURNAMES: CRASPER, McCLELLAN, DICKEY,

Among the worthy pioneers of Santa Clara Valley who did much to increase the resources of the county was the late James Fred Payne who was born in Columbia County, N. Y., March 20, 1833, a son of William Payne, who was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1799. John Payne, the paternal grandfather, was also a native of Yorkshire and in 1802 brought his family to New York, locating in Columbia County. William Payne farmed in that county until 1837, when he removed to Schoharie County, where he lived until his demise in 1866, aged sixty-five. His wife was in maidenhood Gertrude Crapser, daughter of John Crapser, a native of New York and a soldier in the War of 1812

  Gertrude (Crapser) Payne. the mother of our subject, lived to be eighty-four years old. She was the mother of seven sons and four daughters, who were given the best education possible of attainment in the country schools of New York state and were reared to habits of industry and usefulness. Until 1855 James Fred, the fifth in his father's family, worked on the home farm and then came to California by way of Panama, locating in Tuolumne County, where he resided until 1858. That year he purchased a farm in the foothills in Santa Clara County. Two years later, in 1867, he located on a farm a mile east of Los Gatos, and in 1873 came to the place that became his permanent home and where his widow still resides. He owned 126 acres of land that he devoted to farming and fruit raising and in time had large orchards devoted to prunes and apricots. He was thrifty and he had good substantial buildings as well as good equipment for caring for the fruit, including a large drier. The grounds around his comfortable residence were well laid out and abounded in flowers, shrubs and trees which are still a monument to his energy.

Mr. Payne was married in Mountain View in 1874, being united with Miss Phoebe McClellan, a native of Missouri, born near Independence in 1848, in which state her father settled after removing from his native home in Tennessee. The McClellan family were pioneers of Santa Clara County. Her parents, William and Eveline (Dickey) McClellan, natives of Tennessee and Kentucky, respectively, crossed the plains to California bringing their children in an ox-team train of seventy wagons. After a trip of six months through the Indian country, they arrived safely in the fall of 1849. After teaming for a while, Mr. McClellan purchased a farm near Mountain View and later on bought and owned several places. among them being the old Captain Stevens ranch for whom Stevens Creek was named. On this place Mr. and Mrs. McClellan resided at the time of their death. They had nine children, seven of whom are living. Mrs. Payne was only six months old when her parents started across the plains in 1849, so she is now among the oldest settlers of Santa Clara County. Mr. Payne died January 25, 1915, mourned by his family and many friends. Since his death his widow continues to reside at the old home, the estate comprising about 100 acres, nearly all in fruit trees. Her son, George C., an able horticulturist, has charge of the orchard, thus relieving her of all care. Mr. and Mrs. Payne were the parents of five children: George C., the manager of the Payne ranch (BIO BELOW) ; Hurley, is also a horticulturist and resides in Campbell; Gertrude E. Howard and Louise are at home. In religion Mrs. Payne is a Presbyterian, and politically a Republican. She is now one of the few pioneers of 1849 that are still living and able to narrate accounts of early days in California.

From Eugene T. Sawyers' History of Santa Clara County,California,  published by Historic Record Co. , 1922. page 913
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